Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has promised to develop Nigeria’s southern and South Eastern seaports and reopen land borders if elected president in 2027, saying the move would cut the cost of moving goods, revive trade and create more opportunities for businesses.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, made the promise while speaking to supporters in Abuja in August. He said Nigeria needs a better spread of port facilities so that businesses do not have to depend heavily on Lagos for the movement of imported goods.
The former vice president said he had previously held discussions with shipping and ship development companies in Europe about ways to develop ports in the South and South East.
He specifically mentioned Calabar, Uyo and Port Harcourt as locations that could play a bigger role in the movement of goods across the country.
Atiku argued that stronger ports in these areas would make it easier and faster for goods to reach parts of northern Nigeria. He used his business operations in Adamawa as an example, saying a container moved from Lagos to Yola can take up to two months because of the poor state of roads and the long distance involved.
His proposed approach would allow goods arriving through a southern port closer to the North East to reach their destination much faster. Atiku said his goal would be to make it possible for a container arriving through places such as Calabar, Uyo or Port Harcourt to reach Yola within about 24 hours.
The proposal comes against the background of concerns over congestion, high transport costs and the heavy concentration of Nigeria’s major port activity around Lagos.
Nigeria already has operational seaports in Lagos, Rivers, Delta and Cross River states. However, Atiku believes the country can gain more from its coastal infrastructure by expanding the capacity and efficiency of ports outside Lagos.
The plan is also linked to Atiku’s wider argument that Nigeria needs to make trade easier for businesses. He has promised to reopen land borders that he believes remain restricted, arguing that border controls have hurt legitimate businesses and pushed some young traders out of work.
He pointed to Nigeria’s links with Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Benin Republic and said cross border trade is an important source of income for many communities, particularly in the North.
Atiku said young entrepreneurs who once operated businesses with millions of naira in capital had suffered serious losses because of restrictions on cross border trade.
However, the border part of Atiku’s proposal has already drawn a response from the federal government.
The Ministry of Interior said Nigeria’s borders are not closed and therefore cannot simply be reopened. The ministry listed several border points that have been reopened over the past few years, including Seme, Illela, Maigatari, Mfum, Idiroko and Ikom, while Kamba and Tsamiya were reopened in February 2026.
The Presidency also questioned which specific borders Atiku was referring to, saying the country’s borders with neighbouring nations are already open.
Despite the disagreement over the border issue, Atiku’s port proposal focuses on a broader economic question: how to move goods from Nigeria’s coast to consumers and businesses inland more quickly and cheaply.
For the South East and South South, expanded port activity could bring more shipping, logistics, warehousing and other business opportunities. It could also reduce the pressure on Lagos ports if more cargo is handled closer to its final destination.
For northern manufacturers and traders, the proposed changes could mean shorter transport routes and lower logistics costs.
Atiku has presented the development of southern ports as part of a wider economic plan aimed at improving trade, encouraging investment and creating jobs.
The proposal, however, would require major investment in port facilities, roads, rail links and other transport infrastructure before its promised benefits could be fully achieved.
Atiku’s latest comments therefore put port development at the centre of his economic message ahead of the 2027 election, with the former vice president arguing that Nigeria needs more than one major gateway for moving goods into and across the country.
