ABUJA — A stalwart of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and former Edo State governorship aspirant, Barrister Kenneth Imansuaghon, has backed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to reopen Nigeria’s land borders, saying the policy could boost trade, attract investment and ease economic hardship.

Imansuaghon, who spoke from the United States, said reopening the country’s borders with neighbouring countries, including Benin Republic, Niger, Chad and Cameroon, would restore legitimate cross-border commerce and improve the movement of goods across the West African sub-region.

He also argued that the policy could create fresh economic opportunities and help reduce the prices of food and other essential commodities.

“The reopening of the borders will restore legitimate trans-border trade, encourage investors, stimulate local businesses and ultimately reduce the prices of food and other essential commodities through healthy competition,” he said.

However, Imansuaghon criticised the economic reforms introduced by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, alleging that they had worsened the cost-of-living crisis, weakened businesses and left many Nigerians struggling to survive.

According to him, several businesses had either scaled down operations or shut down completely, resulting in job losses and reduced economic activity.

He also argued that persistent insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria had constrained agricultural production, making regional trade an important complement to domestic food supply.

Imansuaghon said stronger trade relations with neighbouring countries would improve supply chains and contribute to stabilising food prices.

The ADC chieftain further cited the reported exit of ride-hailing company Uber from Nigeria after more than a decade of operations as evidence of what he described as a challenging business environment.

He alleged that current economic policies had discouraged investment and contributed to rising unemployment, particularly among young graduates.

Imansuaghon, who is known for his annual rice distribution to vulnerable Nigerians, expressed concern over what he described as worsening socio-economic conditions, saying rising poverty had forced some citizens into desperate means of survival.

He accused the APC-led Federal Government of failing to make basic necessities affordable but expressed confidence that an Atiku-led administration would introduce policies capable of addressing the country’s economic challenges.

His comments followed Atiku Abubakar’s recent pledge that, if elected president in 2027 on the ADC platform, he would reopen Nigeria’s land borders and introduce measures to facilitate the movement and importation of goods.

Atiku had argued that prolonged border closures had disrupted legitimate businesses, constrained regional trade and undermined economic growth.