TOWARDS ECONOMIC INTEGRATION IN AFRICA: REFLECTIONS ON THE IMPLICATIONS OF NIGERIA’S BORDER CLOSURE

Abstract

The Closure of Nigeria’s land borders has raised concerns about the country’s amenability towards the ECOWAS’ Economic Integration treaty and the recently signed African Continental Free trade Agreement (AFCFTA) which permits free movement of people and goods across west Africa. Trading under the AfCFTA framework was slated to start in July 2020. Yet developments suggest many African countries like Nigeria are worrisomely unprepared to implement their AfCFTA commitments because of their Economic peculiarity. The leadership of Nigeria explained that the partial border closure was due to massive smuggling and illicit activities especially of food and poultry products taking place at the borders. This is seen to contravene the objectives of the AFCFTA which is to promote not only free trade but legal trade of quality made-in-Africa goods and Services and also encourage healthy competition among member states. The trade trajectory in West Africa is such that Nigeria is perceived as a dumping site for all goods made in Africa, this is validated by the World Bank’s report which estimated that 80% of imports into Benin Republic, a neighboring country to Nigeria are destined for Nigeria. The paper sets to examine the legal and socio-economic implication of Nigeria’s border closure on Africa’s Economic Integration and understand whether Nigeria’s Protectionist stance has defied the bed rock of free trade. The paper will also showcase the need for economic balance in the implementation of economic integration policies. The paper will employ a desk-based research methodology to ascertain and discuss the extant threat of border closure in a consuming country like Nigeria if any.