The Federal Government has expressed concern over the decision by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to leave the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), saying the move has weakened regional integration and efforts aimed at facilitating the free movement of goods and services within West Africa.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, disclosed this on Thursday at the opening of a one-day management and regional cooperation conference, alongside the 2nd Policy Colloquium organised by the Ministry of Defence in partnership with Saban Media Services.
Dare said the exit of the three Sahelian nations from ECOWAS in 2025 triggered a significant setback for regional cooperation and affected existing frameworks established to promote economic integration.
He noted that the development also paved the way for the formation of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), made up of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. According to him, the bloc has introduced an alternative regional arrangement while putting pressure on existing cooperation frameworks and protocols in West Africa.
“The rupture that came in 2025 when the countries pulled out of ECOWAS created a major regional crisis. That pullout from ECOWAS simply blunted the ECOWAS protocol that promoted integration, free movement of goods and services,” Dare said.
He further stated that the establishment of AES had added another layer of difficulty to regional cooperation.
“It eventually led to the creation of AES, another counter-regional body to ECOWAS. But it also challenged the other instruments and protocols that we have for regional cooperation,” he said.
Dare highlighted the role of efficient border management in achieving regional economic integration and maintaining security, warning that ineffective border controls could worsen insecurity and instability.
He explained that border policies should maintain a balance between allowing legitimate trade and movement while safeguarding national and regional security interests.
The presidential aide also dismissed assertions by former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar that Nigeria’s borders had been shut.
He appealed to politicians to avoid using border management as a campaign or electoral issue, maintaining that Nigeria’s borders remain open but are regulated by the appropriate security and government agencies.
“The Interior Minister has stated the facts. Nigeria’s borders are open. And let me say for a fact, when it comes to the stability of our borders, when it comes to security, it should not be an arena of politicking or an arena to seek votes or to score cheap political points,” he said.
Dare explained that having open borders does not mean that movement is unrestricted, noting that immigration, customs and other security agencies are still responsible for monitoring and regulating activities at the borders.
“Our borders are critical. There are no open borders without controls. So you must understand there is a distinction,” he added.
The decision by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger to withdraw from ECOWAS became effective in January 2025 after a prolonged disagreement between the military-led governments and the regional organisation.
