We closed borders to strengthen economy, security – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that the partial closure of the country’s land borders is meant to strengthen its economy and improve security.

Buhari said the measure was not introduced to punish Nigeria’s neighbours, an impression held in some quarters.

He spoke in London on Saturday during a meeting with a select group of the Nigerian community in the United Kingdom, according to a Presidency statement on Saturday.

He explained that after the closure, an assessment of the threats to the economy and security was being done, adding so far, farmers were the biggest beneficiaries of the policy.

Buhari noted that aside from the reduction in smuggling of food products, arms and ammunition smuggling too had been contained to a large extent.

The President told the session that his regime had slashed the price of fertiliser by 50 per cent, while the presidential directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria not to give foreign exchange for food imports, saved the country “billions of naira.”

– Punch