The National Council of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents has said that the border closure increased the poverty level of Nigerians by 40 per cent.
The founder of NCMDLCA, Mr Lucky Amiwero, said this on Tuesday in Lagos during the training of members of the group.
Amiwero faulted the government’s decision to close the border.
The Federal Government had in August 2019 closed the country’s land borders over the illegal importation of drugs, arms and agricultural products from neighbouring West African countries.
However, in December 2020, former President Muhammed Buhari reopened four borders.
Amiwero added that lots of lives were lost as a result of the border closure.
“I wrote to the government to tell them that the decision was wrong. You don’t close borders like that. Let us ask ourselves what was the effect of the closure of the border. It created almost 40 per cent of poverty. A lot of people lost their lives; a lot of things happened,” he stated.
He blamed the Federal Government for not considering the treaty the country had with the Economic Community of West African States before taking such a decision.
“We have ECOWAS treaty. You didn’t even inform other countries before closing your border. So, that border closure was a minus; it was the worst mistake we have made. The government should not have closed the border,” he argued.
Meanwhile, he noted that if care if is not taken ECOWAS would collapse.
“Their goods have nothing to do with border closure. Those who left were from francophone countries. They were three and in the ECOWAS the francophone countries are progressive; they are progressing and they are more.
“The francophone countries have started before the ECOWAS. So, if they are not very careful, the ECOWAS would collapse because those people are well organised. You can’t just close the border because of a coup,” he declared.
