{"id":724083,"date":"2019-10-15T21:10:12","date_gmt":"2019-10-15T21:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ghana-mma.com\/2019\/10\/15\/foreign-minister-demands-opening-of-nigeria-border\/"},"modified":"2019-10-15T21:10:12","modified_gmt":"2019-10-15T21:10:12","slug":"foreign-minister-demands-opening-of-nigeria-border","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2019\/10\/15\/foreign-minister-demands-opening-of-nigeria-border\/","title":{"rendered":"Foreign Minister Demands Opening Of Nigeria Border"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

\n

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (right)<\/strong> with<\/strong> Olufemi Michael Abikoye <\/strong><\/p>\n

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has called for the re-opening of the Nigerian border to ensure a return to normal regional trade.<\/p>\n

The Minister made the call during a meeting on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, with the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, Olufemi Michael Abikoye.<\/p>\n

She has also assured the Ghana Union of Traders Association (GUTA) that the Ghanaian Government would use all diplomatic avenues to get the government of Nigeria to re-open its western borders for the free flow of goods from Ghana to the sub-region. <\/p>\n

Nigeria partially closed its borders with Benin in August this year to curb the spate of rice smuggling which Africa\u2019s most populous country said is threatening its attempt to boost local production. <\/p>\n

The move, says Nigeria\u2019s High Commission to Ghana, aimed at stopping the movement of illicit weapons and other smuggled goods through the various entry points. <\/p>\n

The closure however, has affected the movement of goods and services from the West African sub-region into Nigeria through that section of the country\u2019s border, a situation GUTA observed, was causing its members to incur huge losses. <\/p>\n

It would be recalled that GUTA petitioned government and recently Madam Ayorkor Botchwey to act on the matter. <\/p>\n

After a meeting with the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, on 15 October 2019, Ghana\u2019s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey called on the Nigerian government to take immediate steps to resolve the border issue.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we speak, Nigerian goods are entering Ghana without any problem and I think that we should find ways of isolating the issues and the country\u2019s that you have problems with so that Ghana\u2019s exports can enter your market without being lumped up with all these issues that have emerged,\u201d she appealed.<\/p>\n

She said truckloads of goods from Ghana have been detained at the Seme border between Benin and Nigeria for weeks and coming back to use the seaports will be a major problem as the traders have already lost millions within the last few weeks.<\/p>\n

The Nigerian High Commissioner said Abuja would be willing to collaborate with Ghana to find a lasting solution to the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end of it, we\u2019re helping our economies. The smuggling will stop and the emerging issues put on the platform and at the end of it, all of us will be very happy\u201d, he noted.<\/p>\n

According to the High Commissioner, \u201cthe sub-region will be happy and Nigeria will be able to generate employment and I appreciate you Your Excellency for calling for this meeting, it actually shows your diplomacy at the highest level and whatever the concerns with respect to Ghanaian goods that are stuck at the border, we shall convey to Nigeria,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

He made clear that Ghana was not the target for the temporary closure of the borders.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the envoy pledged his country\u2019s commitment to find a lasting solution to the matter following the setting up of a joint task force constituting Customs, Immigration and other security bodies for the broader benefit of the ECOWAS Sub region.<\/p>\n

BY Melvin Tarlue <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (right) with Olufemi Michael Abikoye Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has called for the re-opening of the Nigerian border to ensure a return to normal regional trade. The Minister made the call during a meeting on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, with the Nigerian High Commissioner to Ghana, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":724084,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-724083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nForeign Minister Demands Opening Of Nigeria Border - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2019\/10\/15\/foreign-minister-demands-opening-of-nigeria-border\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Foreign Minister Demands Opening Of Nigeria Border - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey (right) with Olufemi Michael Abikoye Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, has called for the re-opening of the Nigerian border to ensure a return to normal regional trade. 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