President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed that the closure of the country’s borders for over one year helped Nigeria “tremendously”.
The president, who is currently in New York for the 76th United Nations general assembly, held a meeting with Maxima Zorreguieta, Queen of the Netherlands, on Wednesday.
According to a statement by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, Buhari highlighted developmental efforts in the country, adding that his administration’s focus has been on infrastructure.
The president, who stated that there had been limitations owing to the fluctuations in oil prices, expressed that if Zorreguieta visits Nigeria, she will see a major difference compared to 2017 when she last visited.
“Without infrastructure, development would be limited, so we put emphasis on building roads, rail, and power. We have a comprehensive plan, and we are doing our best,” Buhari was quoted as saying.
According to Adesina, the president said the decision to close the country’s borders was to encourage farmers, “and eat what we grow”.
“People went back to the land, and this helped us tremendously. We made fertilizers available, resuscitated dams, and it all paid off handsomely,” Buhari said.
“Otherwise, with about 200 million people, we would have been in trouble when COVID-19 struck, and affected the economy.”
