Omokri warns against Atiku’s border reopening, fuel subsidy plans

By Olasunkanmi Akoni Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua, Reno Omokri, has cautioned against plans to reintroduce fuel subsidy and fully reopen Nigeria’s land borders, warning that the combination could encourage large-scale smuggling and worsen the country’s security and economic challenges. Omokri was reacting to the proposal by former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to reopen the country’s land borders and reintroduce fuel subsidy if elected president in the 2027 general election. Atiku had said the measures would revive trans-border trade, which he argued had been disrupted by prolonged restrictions on some of Nigeria’s borders with neighbouring countries.

The former vice-president made the pledge while addressing supporters in a video shared online by ADC chieftain, Dele Momodu, on Friday. According to Atiku, border restrictions had adversely affected businesses and contributed to unemployment, particularly among young Nigerians who depended on cross-border trade. “So I said I am going to reopen the borders and I will,” Atiku said.

However, in a statement on Friday, Omokri warned that implementing both policies simultaneously could have serious consequences. “If you reintroduce fuel subsidy and simultaneously reopen all of Nigeria’s land borders, what you are doing is unleashing the greatest ever smuggling of petroleum products from Nigeria to neighbouring nations,” he said. Omokri recalled that during the period when Nigeria operated fuel subsidy alongside relatively open borders, significant volumes of subsidised petroleum products were allegedly smuggled out of the country.

He claimed that about 25 million litres of the 66.1 million litres supplied daily under the subsidised regime were smuggled out, while rice and poultry products imported through neighbouring countries were also smuggled into Nigeria. He argued that the development contributed to pressure on Nigeria’s foreign reserves, weakened the naira and undermined local rice and poultry production. Omokri also cited claims attributed to the Rice Processors Association of Nigeria, RIPAN, and the Poultry Association of Nigeria on the impact of smuggling on domestic production.

He warned that unrestricted reopening of the country’s land borders could also create security vulnerabilities. Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has pledged to reopen Nigeria’s land borders and develop ports in the southern part of the country if elected president in 2027. Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, made the promise on Wednesday when a political support group visited him in Abuja.

The pledge comes months after the administration of President Bola Tinubu reopened the Kamba and Tsamiya border routes with Niger Republic. The Kamba border was reopened on February 9, 2026, with the Federal Government describing the move as a boost to cross-border trade and economic activities in communities in the area. Atiku, however, said more needed to be done to restore legitimate trans-border trade, particularly along Nigeria’s northern borders with neighbouring countries.