The National Assembly through its joint committee on Industry, Trade and Investment declared on Friday that Nigeria is fooling itself over border closure in view of cross-border banditry taking place in states sharing borders with the Republics of Niger and Chad.

Lawmakers lamented the paradox of closed but porous borders during the 2025 budget defence session the joint committee had with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

Taking the lead was the Chairman, Senate Committee on Industry, Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun East), who said it was better for the borders to be practically open than technically closed.

Fadahunsi said the exit of Niger Republic and Chad from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with attendant opening of their borders to Nigerians was worsening the menace of insecurity across the affected states and, by extension, compounding the nation’s economic woes.

“Border closure is hampering economic fortunes of the country because rather than curb smuggling, it encourages it,” Fadahunsi said.

“For example, on rice production alone, the largest percentage of 4 million tonnes shortfall is being smuggled into the country since local producers are only producing 3 million tonnes out of the expected consumption rate of 7 million tonnes,” he said.

Another member of the committee, Hon Fatima Talba, representing Nangero/Potiskum Federal Constituency of Yobe State in the House of Representatives, said as far as she and her constituents were concerned, the borders were open and not closed.

“Going by free movement of people and even criminals across the borders, it is time for us to stop fooling ourselves with border closure,” she said.

Hon Paul Kalejaiye, representing Ajeromi/Ifelodun Federal Constituency of Lagos State in the House of Representatives, wondered the form of border closure policy Nigeria is implementing.

“We need to even ask the question on the border policy being implemented. Are all borders across the nation closed or those closed are from a segment of the country?” he asked.

The Committee, chaired by Senator Suleiman Sadiq Umar (APC, Kwara North), accordingly urged the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, who came for the budget defence session, to liaise with the Presidency on a way out of the border closure.

Oduwole had earlier in her presentation to the committee said the sum of N3.8 billion was earmarked by the ministry for capital expenditure in the 2025 fiscal year, N4.65 billion for personnel cost, N1.45 billion for overhead, and projected revenue of N24 billion.

But the committee ordered her ministry to go and correct some errors observed in the documents submitted, particularly N59 billion erroneously written as payment for a N50 billion project.