Anti-Nigeria protests in Ghana

Anti-Nigeria sentiments by disgruntled Ghanaians which have been brewing in the social media erupted last week into organised street protests in major Ghanaian towns like Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale, with placard-carrying youths demanding the expulsion of Nigerians.

Their advertised grievances were that Nigerians in Ghana are responsible for the upsurge of crime and social vices, such as kidnapping, prostitution, human trafficking and others. Nigerian traders were also accused of allegedly undercutting their indigenous counterparts in trade practices.

Other whispered root causes were that Nigerian businessmen tend to be more enterprising and prosperous, overshadowing the locals and exerting overpowering influence over their womenfolk. A couple of weeks ago, the first attempt to stage the protests was anchored on alleged plans by a wealthy Nigerian businessman, Chief Jude Chukwudi Iheanetu, to build an “Igbo Village” where he would reign as “Eze Ndi Igbo”. The allegation was later debunked and the planned protest fizzled.

Everything complained about Nigerians in Ghana is a carbon copy of the issues that led to violent, xenophobic actions against Nigerian migrants, which led to their emergency evacuations from South Africa in 2019. These are issues of failure of law enforcement and abandonment of fellow African migrants to organised street mobs.

Despite their common Anglophone heritage and cultural ties, tension has always featured strongly in relations between Nigeria and Ghana. In 1969, the government of Kofi Busia expelled about 200,000 Nigerians over alleged economic dominance. In 1983, the government of Shehu Shagari also deported over two million “illegal aliens”, the bulk of whom were Ghanaians — the “Ghana Must Go” episode.

We call on the governments and people of Nigeria and Ghana to have serious dialogue over the strains threatening their relationship. Quite obviously, the mechanism of Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, has failed to foster integration in the region. Perhaps a bi-national commission is needed to monitor situations and nip problems in the bud.

It is a shame that law enforcement and justice administration are unable to rein-in crime in both countries. This has created a situation where mobs are increasingly helping themselves to harassment, intimidation, arson, vandalisation and physical attacks on Nigerians who are generically demonised as “criminals”.

Ghanaians also reside all over Nigeria and some engage in the same acts of criminality being daubed on Nigerians in Ghana. But unlike Ghanaians and other Africans, Nigerians are very welcoming and accommodating of all foreigners. Nigerians direct their hostility at rival Nigerian groups, not foreigners. Ghanaians must ensure that the lives and property of Nigerians are not compromised. They must remain within the bounds of civility. Self-help could result in unpleasant and regrettable situations. Violence is not a solution to this problem.

The government of Ghana should crack down on crime and deport foreigners found guilty of malfeasance. 

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