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The Nigerian Government has warned that it will not reopen its borders until a tripartite meeting is held with ECOWAS member states within next two weeks.

Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, made this known on Monday in Abuja while briefing newsmen following an Inter-Ministerial meeting Preparatory to the Tripartite Anti-Smuggling Committee Meeting of Nigeria, Benin and Niger.

Onyeama said that the meeting was under the directive of President Muhamadu Buhari regarding the border closure, stating that it was the desire of Mr President that the issues should be addressed as quickly as possible.

Onyeama said that the Nigerian Government insisted that member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), must as a matter of necessity, respect the Rules of Origin.

“Within the next two weeks, a tripartite committee is to be convened and hosted here in Nigeria comprising a delegation, a committee of Benin Republic, from Niger, and from Nigeria.

“Each country will come with the heads of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Interior, Finance, the Customs, Immigration and NIA, the security segment.

“The Nigeria committee has met to look at the situation and we have agreed on a set of conditions and these conditions are as follows.

“That it is an absolute requirement of the Government of Nigeria that any imports coming through our land borders, when those imports are transit in goods.