Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu has lifted all economic sanctions imposed on neighboring Niger, eight months after a military coup.
Abuja ordered the immediate opening of borders, the resumption of commercial flights and the supply of electricity to Niger.
The lifting of the sanctions follows an agreement arrived at last month by the West African regional body, Ecowas, to lift economic sanctions against Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea.
In the presidential order, President Tinubu directed the opening of land and air borders between Nigeria and Niger Republic, as well as access to all ECOWAS no-fly zone on all commercial flights to and from Niger Republic.
The Suspension of all commercial and financial transactions between Nigeria and Niger, as well as freeze of all service transactions, including utility services and electricity to Niger Republic have also been lifted .
Assets of the Republic of Niger in ECOWAS Central Banks and of the Republic of Niger, state enterprises, and parastatals in commercial bank lifted
”Suspension of Niger from all financial assistance and transactions with all financial institutions, particularly EBID and BOAD. Import dependent Niger has also suffered the lack of essential commodities, with border communities being the worst hit by these sanctions.” were also lifted as read in part.
Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso had earlier announced they would withdraw from Ecowas after the sanctions were imposed.
Niger’s ousted President Mohamed Bazoum has been detained by the military leaders in Niger since last July’s coup.