Impact of Border Closure on the Growth on Local Industries in Nigeria 2010-2023

Abstract The study examined the impact of border closure on the growth of local industries in Nigeria. Four specific objectives and research questions were raised to guide the study as follows: to identify the factors responsible for border closures by Nigeria government; ascertain if border closures have achieved its objectives; identify factors affecting the achievement of the goal of border closure in Nigeria; and ascertain the extent to which border closures have affected the growth of local industries in Nigeria using the theory of Hegemonic Stability as an anchor. The method of data collection was qualitative using historical research qualitative design. Findings from the study show that factors responsible for the closure of land border by the Nigerian government include: to enhance domestic agriculture and boost national productivity growth, and ultimately reducing product smuggling. Furthermore, to a larger extent, the closure of border did not achieve its purpose in that smuggling continued, though at the rate lower than before the closure. It was also found that factors affecting the achievement of the land border closure include: deep socio-economic ties among the people in the border communities, existing informal/illegal trade routes, differential prices, porosity of the borders, lack of government presence, and the compromise of the border security agencies. In addition, though there were some positive effects of border closure in terms of growth of some local industries, there were a lot negative effects on the economy at large and the local industries in particular: these include inflation, currency devaluation, blocking of investments, retaliation by the neighbouring countries and negative impact on the economic ties between Nigeria and its neighbours etc. It was therefore recommended that instead of border closure, the Nigerian government workout a viable border surveillance strategy through intelligence sharing.