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West African Countries To Explore Impacts Of Nigerian Border Closure

Heads of state agreed to look into the impact Nigeria's land border closure has had on its neighbors.
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The Economic Community of West African States will open an investigation into Nigeria after the country closed its land borders to trade last year.

Nigeria's plan was essentially to limit imports and exports in an attempt to stop the smuggling of goods like rice. On Monday, leaders in ECOWAS, which promotes economic integration in member countries, agreed to form a committee to explore the border closure's impact on Nigeria's neighbors. 

Nigeria is Africa's largest economy. Surrounding countries like Ghana, which relies on goods from Nigeria, say the border closure has been harmful to their economies.

A statement from a spokesperson for Nigeria's president says the committee will "study and make a full report on Nigeria's land border closure with her neighbors" and then submit reports about how each country has been affected. There's no deadline for the report, but Nigerian officials say it will be done "as soon as possible."