The transitional authorities in Niger have declared the reopening of land borders with Nigeria, effective from 00:00 on Friday.
This move signals the official resumption of trade along the 1,500-km border shared by the two countries, which had been closed since July 30, 2023, following a coup d’état by the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) on July 26.
In a radio message, the Nigerian Ministry of Interior notified the governors of the border regions about “the reopening of our land border with the Federal Republic of Nigeria this Friday, March 22, 2024, from zero hours,” urging them to “implement all necessary measures to strengthen the control system for entry and exit at the border crossings.”
Furthermore, on March 13, Nigeria reopened its land and air borders with Niger and lifted previously imposed sanctions against the country, in line with decisions made by the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) during its extraordinary summit on Feb. 24 in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
During the extraordinary summit, West African leaders reached an agreement to lift economic sanctions against Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali.
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