Nigeria, March 16 -- President Bola Tinubu, on 13 March, directed the reopening of Nigeria's land and air borders with the Republic of Niger. He also ordered the lifting of all sanctions on the country, including commercial, financial and service transactions, like electricity.

He equally approved the lifting of financial and economic sanctions against the Republic of Guinea. These steps should open better opportunities for Nigeria, which accounts for 70 per cent of the trade in the West African region. But, unfortunately, Nigeria has no ambassador in either country that can drive the process. In fact, we have no single ambassador in the entire Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a body over which President Tinubu preside...