In a recent statement, former Senator Shehu Sani expressed skepticism over the anticipated economic benefits of reopening Nigeria’s land borders, particularly questioning the lack of impact on the price of rice.
Despite promises that opening borders would lead to a decrease in the cost of staple foods like rice, Sani highlighted that such outcomes have yet to materialize.
Sani’s comments come amidst ongoing discussions about the effectiveness of border policies on Nigeria’s economy. The closure of land borders was initially implemented by former President, Muhammad Buhari as a measure to boost local agricultural production and reduce reliance on imported goods.
However, critics like Sani argue that the policy has not yielded the expected increase in domestic food production for Nigeria’s population, which exceeds 200 million people.
The former lawmaker indirectly pointed out that while the policy aimed to enrich the nation, it inadvertently favored the wealthy by allowing rice importation through sea borders, thus not benefiting the average Nigerian….Sée Móre