The Federal Government’s decision to shut the nation’s land borders against neigbouring countries will remain, despite any short-term losses, until they ratify Nigeria’s proposed anti-smuggling policy, according to Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele.
Emefiele, who held a closed-door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, yesterday, noted that since the closure, Nigerian rice and poultry farmers had been benefitting from the development.
According to him, the farmers have been able to market all their accumulated produce, which were before now left unsold as a result of illegal importation and smuggling of the items into the country.
Nigeria is bordered by Niger Republic in the north and Benin Republic in the west. The two countries are noted as having several smuggling routes into Nigeria. Their borders into Nigeria were closed last month.
Source: Guardian newspaper