Dozens of Ghanaians took to the streets on Tuesday, July 29, in a protest tagged “Nigerians Must Go,” calling for the expulsion of Nigerians from Ghana. The protest, which quickly went viral through videos on social media, featured demonstrators clad in red T-shirts and waving placards accusing Nigerians of various crimes, including armed robbery, ritual killings, kidnapping, and prostitution. Some placards bore inflammatory messages such as “Our kids are going missing because of Igbos” and “Our health is at stake due to mass prostitution.” In one video, a woman was heard shouting, “Nigerians must go because you can’t be in someone’s country and be behaving anyhow,” while another protester complained about the growing influence of Nigerians in Ghana, saying, “They even have an Igbo king in Ghana… we will conquer them and take over our country.”
Members of the Nigerian community in Ghana have responded to the protest, describing it as an orchestrated attempt to provoke a diplomatic crisis between the two West African nations. Many Nigerians living in Ghana, particularly traders and small business owners, say the protest reflects deeper issues of discrimination, resentment, and economic rivalry. Patrick Isaac, a Nigerian businessman, told Saturday PUNCH that Nigerians in Ghana are routinely subjected to unfair treatment, including inflated housing costs, targeted business regulations, and a general hostility that has persisted for years. According to him, Nigerian tenants are often charged rent up to five times higher than Ghanaians, and landlords intentionally price them out to reclaim the spaces for themselves.
Isaac alleged that the recent protest was not a spontaneous reaction to any particular incident, but rather a continuation of efforts by some Ghanaians to undermine the economic progress of Nigerian traders. He emphasized that the protest had little to do with comments made by Chukwudi Ihenetu, the self-proclaimed Igbo king in Ghana, but more with growing resentment over the success and visibility of Nigerians, especially the Igbo community. “Most Nigerians here are victims of certain prejudices,” Isaac said. “When a Ghanaian pays 1,000 cedis for rent, a Nigerian might be asked to pay 5,000. If you can’t, you’re kicked out.”
Other Nigerians expressed similar concerns. A trader, who asked to remain anonymous, said the protest was a calculated strategy to intimidate Nigerian business owners and shrink their presence in Ghana’s local market. He pointed to the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) law, which requires foreign investors to show $1 million in capital before operating legally, as a deliberate attempt to frustrate Nigerian traders. This, he noted, has been going on since at least 2017, with Nigerian-owned shops being closed in large numbers in 2019 under similar accusations of foreign interference in local retail.
The discrimination is not limited to business. Emmanuel Chubike, a Nigerian fashion designer from Imo State, highlighted how housing discrimination has worsened in recent months. “Before you get an apartment here, you will go through hell,” he said, blaming a handful of criminal Nigerians for tarnishing the image of the entire community. He also mentioned how several of his friends have received quit notices from landlords, while others, including himself, have seen sudden rent hikes of up to 50 percent. Chubike appealed to the Ghanaian government to intervene and ensure fair treatment for Nigerians, while also calling for both governments to work towards peace and mutual respect.
In response to the escalating tension, Ghanaian President John Mahama assured Nigerians that their safety remains a priority for the Ghanaian government. Speaking during a diplomatic visit by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Mahama said there is no room for xenophobia in Ghana. He reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to ECOWAS protocols on free movement. He called on Nigerians not to worry about the protest, which he described as an isolated incident involving fewer than 50 people. “Tell President Tinubu not to lose sleep over the recent protests,” Mahama reportedly said. “Nigeria and Ghana are brothers with a shared history, and we won’t allow anything to come between us.”
Despite the president’s reassurances, many Nigerians in Ghana remain uneasy, pointing to a growing pattern of xenophobia and economic exclusion. While diplomatic efforts have begun to de-escalate tensions, the protest has highlighted the fragile balance between integration and nationalism in a region governed by free movement treaties but riddled with economic anxiety and nationalistic sentiments. For many Nigerian traders in Ghana, the issue is not just about safety, but about dignity, fair treatment, and the right to earn a living in a fellow ECOWAS nation.
