In recent years, the African authorities have multiplied initiatives to accelerate regional and continental integration. It is clear that Nigeria, one of the great powers of the region, remains more protectionist by opposing this dynamic. The federal government's ambitions are among the main causes of delays in the implementation of the various initiatives to accelerate regional and continental integration. True to his goals for the health and education sectors, whose 2021 budget shows a 56.3% increase over the 2020 budget, Muhammadu Buhari seems more protectionist than necessary.
The debates on the eco, the implementation of the AfCFTA, cross-border trade are all subjects that suggest that Nigeria seems determined to continue to oppose the acceleration of regional and continental integration.
Despite the announcement on 16 December 2020 of the reopening of its land borders, the Nigerian authorities maintain the ban on importing a range of products, in particular Asian rice and poultry. Measures that will be implemented by joint border patrols with Benin and Niger.