TheCable

President Roch Kabore of Burkina Faso has been appointed by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to head a panel that will investigate the closure of Nigeria’s land borders to its neighbours.

The decision of the regional body was arrived at on Sunday night after an extraordinary meeting of ECOWAS leaders was convened on the margins of the 33rd AU summit in Ethiopia.

Nigeria closed its land borders in August 2019 to check smuggling of banned items into the country.

In January, President Muhammadu Buhari was quoted as saying the closure of the borders is not meant to punish Nigeria’s neighbours but to strengthen the country’s economy.

Speaking with journalists after the meeting, Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, said Kabore is expected to study the situation and make a report “as soon as possible”.

“The president of Burkina Faso is charged with undertaking a full study of the situation, make a report and then we take it from there,” Onyeama said.

“As soon as possible, there are no timelines. But he is supposed to start very quickly, study the situation from all the affected countries and present his report.”

Speaking on the eco currency, the minister said Nigeria’s position still remains that the majority of the countries in the region have not agreed on when it would be implemented.

“Nothing has changed in respect of Nigeria’s position,” he said.