Nigerians residing in Ghana have condemned the “Nigerians Must Go” protest, which erupted in parts of the country on Tuesday, July 29, describing it as a calculated attempt to incite a diplomatic rift between the two West African neighbours.
They also accused the organisers of the protest of fueling long-standing discrimination, economic exclusion, and entrenched hostility toward Nigerians living in Ghana.
Saturday Telegraph recalls that numerous Ghanaians protested against Nigerians living among them, demanding expulsion due to alleged rising crime, including prostitution, killings, and economic dominance.
Video clips circulated on social media, with several Ghanaians in red t-shirts and placards with inscriptions like: “Nigerians are kidnapping and using people for rituals”, “Our kids are getting missing because of Igbos”,
“Who protects the rights and freedoms of Ghanaians?”, “Armed robbery and violent attacks must stop,” and “Our health at stake due to mass prostitution.
In response to the accusations, Nigerians lamented that they are victims of persistent discrimination and victimisation, especially from land owners – landlords.
They pointed to instances such as the imposition of exorbitant rent fees specifically targeting Nigerian tenants, and the selective enforcement of business regulations that disproportionately hinder Nigerian-owned businesses, as evidence of systemic bias and marginalisation.
A businessman, Patrick Isaac, described the protest as a deliberate attempt by certain Ghanaians displeased with the success of Nigerian traders to provoke retaliation, potentially triggering a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
“This has been going on for a long. We knew the protest was going to happen, and we were prepared for it. There was a meeting of Igbo traders in Ghana, and we were told not to react to their provocation during the protest because their plan was to provoke us into attacking them, thereby leading to a serious diplomatic crisis between Nigeria and Ghana.”
He maintained that the protest was not a reaction to the actions or statements of self-proclaimed Igbo leader in Ghana, Chukwudi Ihenetu, but rather a manifestation of escalating hostility toward Nigerians—particularly those engaged in small-scale businesses and informal trade.
“Most Nigerians here are victims of certain prejudices. When you go to rent an apartment or office space, you are already presumed to have too much money just because you are Nigerian, even when you are just someone trying to survive.
“When a Ghanaian pays 1,000 Cedis for rent, you may be asked to pay five times more, and if you can’t, you are chased away.
“As a Nigerian, when you rent a shop or an apartment, they (Ghanaians) triple your rent in such a way that you are forced to leave so that they can come in and continue that kind of business which you have been doing.
He accused the Nigerian High Commission in Ghana of failing to take decisive steps to safeguard the interests of its nationals, alleging that the mission has remained largely unresponsive amid growing incidents of harassment, discriminatory practices, and targeted crackdowns on Nigerian-owned businesses.
Another Nigerian trader who preferred to remain anonymous asserted that the protest is a calculated effort to drive Nigerian traders out of business and curtail their rising influence in the local market.
He pointed to the proposed $1 million levy by the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) as part of a broader strategy aimed at discouraging foreign participation in the retail sector, with Nigerians being disproportionately affected.
“This has been going on for a long time; each time they (Ghanaians) see any Nigerian trader thriving, they try to pull them down.
“It started in 2017 when they tried to enact a law that no foreigner should engage in retail trading; they said we can do wholesale trading while we employ their indigenes. They tried to enact the law, which affected some of us in the spare parts and electronics business.
“In 2019, it was so massive that all Nigerian shops were closed. This victimisation against Nigerians is becoming too much, and now they are targeting the Igbos because they know that we are the ones doing the business here and we have a very strong hold because we have the Igbo festival and other things we do,” he said.
Attesting to the allegations, another Nigerian, Emmanuel Chubike, a fashion designer from Imo state, described the situation of high marginalisation and discrimination, especially with house rent,
“Before you get an apartment here, you will go through hell because some Nigerians who are into criminal activities have given the country a bad name.
“I have received reports from many of my friends saying that their landlords have issued quit notices and asked them to vacate once their rents expire. My own landlord has also increased my rent by 50 per cent, and it is clear this is because of the perceived hatred going on between Nigerians and Ghanaians,” he said
He called on the Ghanaian government to intervene and put an end to the discriminatory practices, while urging both the Nigerian and Ghanaian governments to foster mutual respect and promote peaceful coexistence between citizens of the two nations.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
