President Buhari explained that although his decision to close the country’s borders faced criticism initially, he believed that Nigerians would eventually come to appreciate the rationale behind it.
He further acknowledged that safeguarding Nigeria’s extensive border, stretching from Lake Chad to Benin Republic, was a challenging task that ultimately required divine protection.
President Buhari expressed the view that effective border supervision demanded someone with both the vigor and expertise to handle such a responsibility.
The deliberate closure of the borders was motivated by the understanding that certain individuals in Nigeria would purchase rice, share some with Niger, and then smuggle the remainder into the country. By implementing the closure across the vast 1,600-kilometer border, the intention was to encourage Nigerians to consume locally grown rice, promoting self-sufficiency and discouraging reliance on imports. Over time, President Buhari asserted, Nigerians would come to acknowledge the validity of this approach.
The closure of Nigeria’s borders was primarily driven by concerns about the influx of imported rice and the smuggling of arms into the country.
Also see: https://inschoolboard.com/cbn-urges-schools-to-embrace-e-naira-for-fee-payments/