One week after the Nigeria Customs Service opened the Illela land border between Nigeria and the Niger Republic, the Niger Republic government opened the Konni frontier for operations on Friday.
According to Nuhu Samaila, who briefed our correspondent from Konni in the Niger Republic, the border was proclaimed open at noon Friday.
He praised the country’s military junta government for listening to the people’s wishes and keeping the border open.
“It is a commendable effort, at least by the government, to have done the needful at last.
“It was our collective prayer that this border should be reopened after the Nigerian side was declared open.
“I want to believe that this will definitely help a lot in the improvement of the economies of these two countries, as it will facilitate more trading activities between Nigeria and the Niger Republic,” he added.
The Federal Government had last week, on Wednesday, restored the supply of electricity to the Republic of Niger following the directive of President Bola Tinubu that Nigeria’s land and air borders with the neighbouring country be opened.
REPORTERS AT LARGE recalls that on August 3, 2023, the power supply from Nigeria to the Republic of Niger was stopped as part of the sanctions against the neighbouring country by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Earlier in August last year, ECOWAS, led by Tinubu, imposed sanctions on Niger following a coup that toppled the country’s President-elect, Mohamed Bazoum, in July 2023. Officers of the Niger Presidential Guard had, on July 26, 2023, arrested Bazoum and declared him deposed.
In their reactions, ECOWAS leaders demanded the complete restoration of constitutional order in Niger and declared Bazoum’s arrest and detention illegal.
Also, in compliance with the directive of the President on the immediate reopening of the land border with the Niger Republic, the Controller, Nigeria Customs Service, Kebbi State Command, Iheanacho Ojike, reopened the Kamba land border.
While re-opening the border, Ojike said Kamba is a strategic border with a major share in Kebbi State revenue generation.
