The Nigerian government’s decision to close its land borders on 20 August 2019 has raised many questions regarding the legality of the government’s action particularly in light of the recently signed agreement to establish the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). In this article, Aelex partner, ‘Soji Awogbade, FEI and associates, Tope Tokan-Lawal, Florence Bola-Balogun and Akorede Adelupe analyse the basis for the closure in light of the Revised Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States, the World Trade Organisation’s General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and the AfCFTA Agreement. They conclude that the closure does not violate the trade agreements to the extent that the closure was for security reasons and the protection of the domestic markets.
