Atiku also attributed the closure of the borders to why many young traders in the region remain jobless and bankrupt.
By Kehinde Okeowo
African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has traced joblessness and bankruptcy among young traders in northern Nigeria to the closure of the borders, promising to reopen them if elected in 2027.
The former Vice President made the promise on Friday while addressing supporters in a video that circulated widely across various social media platforms.
Speaking to the crowd, he pledged to reopen all borders across northern Nigeria to pave the way for legitimate businesses.
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The ADC chieftain also asserted that the unemployment arising from the government’s decision to close the borders led to a sharp increase in the security crisis.
Speaking in the trending clip, Atiku said: “The northern states border Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin Republic, and the rest. They closed all the borders.
“All our young men who are engaged in trading between these countries — what we call trans-border trading — are involved in legitimate business.
“All the young men and women with capital of over one million naira, recruiting two to three others, have gone bankrupt and become unemployed. How can there be security? I am going to reopen all the borders.”
