ABUJA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Nigeria on Wednesday opened its land and air borders with the Republic of the Niger and lifted earlier imposed sanctions against that country following a 2023 coup that overthrew President Mohamed Bazoum.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu gave the directive in compliance with the decisions of the Authority of the Heads of State and Government of the 15-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at its extraordinary summit on Feb. 24 in Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
At the extraordinary summit, the West African leaders agreed to lift economic sanctions against Niger, Burkina Faso, Guinea, and Mali.
Nigeria had closed its air and land borders with Niger in August 2023 while persuading the military junta in that country to free the detained Bazoum and members of his family, as well as returning to constitutional order.
Tinubu directed the sanctions imposed on Niger to be lifted immediately, said Ajuri Ngelale, the main spokesman for the Nigerian president, in a statement Wednesday.
These included the opening of the land and air borders between Nigeria and Niger, as well as the ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger.
The Nigerian leader also approved the lifting of all financial and economic sanctions against Guinea, according to the statement. ■
