National security and economic development are settled interests for every nation. Nigeria is not an exception especially as regards her border closure in order to address domestic security, economic, and even social concerns.
Although there are concerns from many quarters (ECOWAS, individual ECOWAS nations and even some uninformed/misinformed Nigerians), the Buhari administration’s border policy is in the right direction and in the long term will serve Nigeria and Nigerians.
The dictates of globalization have led nations to integrate their economies in order to create a common strong market that can swim against the currents of global competition. Nations join unions as a result of the commonality of interests. But nations enter into such unions, most of the times, without a contingency plan as to how to protect their national interests. However, only a purposeful leadership is conscious of the fact that in unions a nation’s sovereignty is not ceded. That nation can either explore new avenues of engagement or a total withdrawal.
Individual EVOWAS nations have voiced concern on Nigeria’s border closure citing its impact on their respective economies. What they deliberately misunderstand is that the imperatives of national interests supersede any other especially when those interests are of security concern. Apart from smuggling drugs and other contraband food items which Nigeria is producing, arms are also smuggled through the land borders and these arms find their way to either Boko Haram or other insurgent groups in the country. No country under a right thinking leader will allow this.
As mentioned earlier, certain misinformed/uninformed and deliberate mischief makers in Nigeria think the border closure puts Nigerians in hardship. Although the misinformed/uninformed are sincere in their calls because they have basic understanding of the issue, the deliberate mischief makers are reactionary people that attack the policy because it has crippled their lucrative but illicit “businesses”.
Nigeria has more than two thirds of the GDP and more than half the population of the ECOWAS region. We do not need a friend that leads death to our doorsteps. In realistic terms, Nigeria must not allow some nations to continue intercepting our economy.
The border policy is important for Nigeria to address three important issues: national security, economic development and social revolution and attitudinal change. The border closure policy will help reduce the proliferation of arms and criminals into Nigeria thereby boosting the Nigerian military’s fight against the various insurgencies.
On the economic front, the border closure policy has already started impacting on Nigeria’s agricultural sector. Going by the CBN’s figures, the agricultural sector has increased many times over in billions of naira. What Nigeria is doing is in line with global practices of protectionism for local industries. You can’t export just anything into the USA, China or even other sister ECOWAS nations from Nigeria.
On the social sphere, it is an opportunity for Nigerians to be emancipated from the shackles of mental slavery we have been entrapped for a very long time. I mean Nigerians have a culture of buying foreign products than made in Nigeria goods. Most Asian nations developed their local industries by buying their national products. One case is India, and in some quarters, buying foreign products is a taboo frowned upon. Government must continue to sensitize the people to buy local products as well as put a check on “smart” Nigerians taking advantage of the situation to sell products like rice at exorbitant prices.
Contrary to calls for the government to relax this border policy, I call on the president to resist all pressures, lobbies and or pleas to open the borders. I call on the government to put funds into mechanized agriculture. I also call on the president and his government to ban the importation of all low quality commodities (medicines, clothes, food, etc.) into Nigeria.
Muhammad Reza Ajani Suleiman, writes from the Dept. of Political Science & International Studies, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria
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