The border closure between Nigeria and Niger is making traders in Nigeria lose an average of N13bn weekly, the Arewa Economic Forum has said.
The Chairman of the Forum, Ibrahim Dandakata, gave the figure on Sunday in Abuja during a chat with journalists.
He said the closure of the border has brought serious hardship on the people in the northern region and by extension Nigerians as many perishable goods that are traded between both countries are getting spoilt by the day.
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Recall that Niger’s elected president Mohamed Bazoum was ousted on July 26 by a team of his military guards. Bazoum has been in their custody since then.
The decision of the military to topple a democratically elected President in Niger angered the leaders of countries that made up the Economic Community of West African States under the Chairmanship of President Bola Tinubu.
This led to the closure of the border between Nigeria and Niger by the Federal Government on August 4.
Speaking on the development, Dandakata said if the closure of the border shoukd linger on without resolution, the people in Niger will suffer and Nigerians will be losing huge revenue to trade.
He said, “We estimate that about N13bn financial loss per week is being suffered as a result of border closure. Most of the trade between Nigeria and Niger are personable goods.
“Most of the animals we eat in Nigeria are brought from Niger. Onions, pepper and tomatoes are all there rotten away. If this linger on without resolution, the people in Niger will suffer and Nigerians will be losing huge revenue to trade.
“We are in financial and economic strain in Nigeria and the war should not be implemented. If we go to war, the fight by the JTF against terrorism will be wiped away. And the war will further fuel the coming in of small more small arms into Nigeria
“This problem is a Nigerian problem and not that of northern Nigeria. The problem will affect all of us and the government should consider the internal economic conditions that such a war will have on us and the effect cannot be determined.”
West African nations have approved armed intervention in Niger “as soon as possible”, the Ivory Coast president had said, following a meeting to discuss the coup.
At the meeting, leaders of the ECOWAS regional bloc said they had agreed to deploy a “standby” military force.
However, they have not given any details of the size of the force.
President Tinubu had said the use of force would be a “last resort”.