The withdrawal of some West African countries from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in 2025 weakened regional integration mechanisms, particularly protocols promoting the free movement of goods and services, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, has said.

Dare made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on border management and regional cooperation at the 2nd Policy Colloquium organised by the Ministry of Defence in collaboration with Saban Media Services.

The colloquium was themed, “Securing the Sovereign Frontier: Strategic Defence Architecture, Emerging Technologies and Democratic Integrity in Nigeria.”

According to Dare, the withdrawal of the countries created a major regional crisis and undermined existing mechanisms for economic integration and regional cooperation.

“The rupture that came in 2025 when the countries pulled out of ECOWAS created a major regional crisis. That pullout from ECOWAS simply blunted the ECOWAS protocol that promoted integration, free movement of goods and services,” he said.

He said the development also contributed to the emergence of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which he described as a regional bloc challenging existing instruments and protocols for regional cooperation.

Dare stressed that effective border management had implications for both economic activities and regional security, describing national borders as critical frontlines for protecting stability.

He said Nigeria’s borders must be managed in a manner that balances legitimate economic activities with the need to protect national and regional security.

The presidential aide also dismissed claims by the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, that Nigeria’s borders were closed.

He urged politicians to avoid turning border security into an issue for electoral campaigns.

“The Interior Minister has stated the facts. Nigeria’s borders are open. And let me say for a fact, when it comes to the stability of our borders, when it comes to security, it should not be an arena of politicking or an arena to seek votes or to score cheap political points,” Dare said.

He, however, clarified that open borders did not mean uncontrolled borders, noting that immigration, customs and other security agencies remained responsible for regulating movement across the country’s borders.

“Our borders are critical. There are no open borders without controls. So you must understand there is a distinction,” he added.