Nigerian traders in Ghana say the recent wave of xenophobic attacks against foreigners in South Africa has brought relief to their community in Ghana.
The President of the Nigeria Union of Traders Association in Ghana (NUTAG), Mr. Evaristus Nwankwo, disclosed this on Monday in an interview with reporters. He spoke in the context of measures taken by Ghanaian authorities to ease tensions between Nigerian and Ghanaian citizens, including at the individual level.
Nwankwo said the Ghanaian government had succeeded in calming calls by some Ghanaians for Nigerians to leave the country.
“I think what happened in South Africa has also been a relief for us here in Ghana because South Africans did not spare Ghanaians either,” he said.
He explained that many Ghanaians, after witnessing what their nationals experienced in South Africa, began questioning calls for Nigerians to exit.
“For now, such agitation has died down,” he added.
The NUTAG president said an agreement between the Nigerian and Ghanaian governments had helped reduce tensions and remains one of the best solutions so far.
He noted that Ghanaians had agreed to concessions for Nigerians regarding the proposed $1 million registration fee, especially for those residing in Ghana since 2020.
Nwankwo recalled that a former Ghanaian trade minister had unilaterally changed the bilateral agreement, directing that shop rents owned by Nigerians would not be renewed upon expiry.
“Since the current government took office, everything has calmed down. The way the government is welcoming Nigerians here is wonderful,” he said.
He urged the Nigerian Federal Government to expedite the appointment of a substantive High Commissioner to Ghana to strengthen efforts to protect Nigerians’ interests in the country.
