Mahama made the plea while delivering the 7th Anniversary Lecture, Investiture into The Realnews Hall of Fame in Lagos, Vanguards reports.
He said that the total closure of, especially, the Benin border was having a significant toll on many small and medium businesses especially in Togo, Ghana and Cote D’Ivoire that relied on inter-country trade.
“I am sure that businesses in Nigeria that rely on supplies from these countries are also suffering. With the signing of the joint border task force agreement between Nigeria and her neighbours, I will like to take this opportunity to appeal to Nigeria to open up her border so that economic activities can resume,” he said.
Please open the borders....o na beg i dey beg
ReplyDeleteI stan
ReplyDeleteNo.The border should remain shut for a while. We need to develop and grow whatever we can internally.We now have families eating Nigeria rice and cold rooms now stock local chicken.Sacrifies both from the masses and our almighty politicians is all we need. This country can actually be great.if you believe
ReplyDeleteIt's a good idea but the money made would still be consumed by those at the top.
DeleteWe need to first tackle corruption before trying to save more money.
It's our border, I wonder why they are crying more than us, I remember not too long ago they insulted our government and bragged about how their economy was better off than Nigeria, you can't be smiling to the bank on another person's tears. This is the best time to implement the right process for our ports, government can also earn revenue by establishing clearing offices at our borders, so if your goods are coming via road, you'll have to pay government to get it cleared. Get other sea ports in the east to start running, They need to stop being selfish, they think they won't make money if the ports in the east start working, but on the contrary they will make money at least for goods going to the west and the north, while the east will serve those in the south and middle belt.
ReplyDeleteFarmers need to be proactive and start planting foods that are in season if things remain the same till next year, our farmers will be smiling to the banks, they should also work on the quality of whatever it is they are produce, give our foreign counterparts a run for their money that even when things change, Nigerians will still prefer their own products.
I concur. If our population is our strength we should be the beneficiary not neighboring countries. As many companies they were celebrating moving in to Ghana to grow their economy still targets Nigeria markets, our ports should be used for what to be consumed here and every duty paid here.
DeleteI really don't like the fact that the borders were closed without any form of prior notice and people's sources of livelihood here are now compromised.
ReplyDeleteBut you see ehn, it has shown how important Nigeria is to them. After all the cursing and calling us no-good, una still dey beg make we open border. Shey y'all were locking Nigeria shops and chasing them away cos of closed borders? Continue na, Abi una don tire?
You need us more than we need you and that is the truth.
The truth they need us for their growth.
DeleteGot to give it to this government. They clearly established who the boss is. Truth is they need us more than we need them. The birders should remain closed when eventually opened the terms must be to our favor
DeleteHmmmmm.....
ReplyDeleteMy uncle actually said that the closure of the borders are a good thing for the importers because it reduces the rate at which other smaller importers bring in counterfeit goods and spoiling market for the real ones.
ReplyDeleteSo Ghana can depend on Nigeria for anything.
ReplyDeleteBorder should remain closed... Look at them; all crying more than the bereaved.
ReplyDeleteI read some articles about the border closure on Bloomberg and I couldn't stop laughing.
If the border should be closed, then it should for everybody. Not when some will be enjoying in London, others will be suffering here.
DeleteI join him in begging, please Mr President pity us and open the border, at least you can tighten the security there so that illegal goods will not come in . Please help us
ReplyDeleteOpen fire? Their alomo bitter can come in via seaport.
ReplyDeleteMy question is why are these home grown products now so expensive?Nigerians are really wicked to themselves.If we have home products of good quality and at affordable prices then I am certain Nigerians won't look for foreign products.They should look into the regulation of prices so things are affordable for the masses.
ReplyDeleteYou've said the main thing! Wickedness to each other, exploiting one another.
DeleteBlack girl God bless you... I just laff at the way everyone is saying let the borders be closed...We dont read history and never learn from history...The borders were closed sometime in 1984/85, what was the outcome?? Same man is there in 2019 giving the same decree...Do they know the implications?? Someone mentioned seaport..What is the status with Apapa port...Why is the Nigerian rice and chicken still expensive?? Nigerians should better wake up and realize that the ruler we have is still living in 1984/85...
Delete@ Phoenix,I'm yet to see the good side of the border closure too because Nigeria rice and other goods are still expensive and I think it's sheer wickedness from FG. Has boko haram stopped killing and kidnapping or has bandits stopped their operations? We the poor masses are really suffering and Buhari's govt is not helping issues. May God help us.
DeleteWell said. He is still living in 1984/85 with joy sef.
DeleteSo our border is so important to them like this, oh!! Now I see, it should remain closed.
ReplyDeleteClose the borders and throw away the keys
ReplyDeleteBia Oga former president... Is it your border, abi is it your closing???
ReplyDeleteAs a Ghanaian I say this WORST FORMER EX PRESIDENT of our nation needse needs to shut the fcuk up. Mind his business
ReplyDeleteAs if any body wants something from nigeria. 😂😂😂😂😂😂Nigeria that is seeking refuge in all their neighbors countries. This is laughable. Yes please close borders with all your 419ers
ReplyDelete