By Ghana News
Copyright ghanamma
Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Baba Jamal Mohammed Ahmed, has cautioned Ghanaians against unfair treatment of Nigerian nationals, particularly amid rising tensions over trade activities involving Nigerians in Ghana.
In an interview with Agya Wusu on Radio XYZ, the High Commissioner described the situation as “a major problem at hand” and urged a measured, diplomatic approach.
His comments follow reported incidents of eviction and harassment of Nigerian traders in Ghanaian markets, which have triggered diplomatic concerns between the two West African nations.
“When Nigerians are coming to Ghana, they come in large numbers,” he noted, citing the vast population gap between the two countries. “Nigeria has over 233 million people compared to Ghana’s 33 million. It is expected that their numbers here will be high.”
He explained that Nigerians often migrate to Ghana for three main reasons: a common language (English), Ghana’s peaceful environment, and business-friendly trade laws under the ECOWAS free movement policy.
“Ghana is a peaceful country, and our trading environment is friendly. ECOWAS protocols allow citizens to move and trade freely across member states, and naturally, many Nigerians are taking advantage of that,” he said.
On perceptions that Nigerians are involved in crime or flouting trade laws, Baba Jamal cautioned against generalizations.
“Not all Nigerians are bad. Just like in any society, there are a few bad nuts. We shouldn’t let the actions of a few destroy the image of the many,” he stressed.
He reminded Ghanaians that a significant number of their compatriots live in Nigeria and warned against actions that could provoke retaliation.
“There are close to one million Ghanaians living in Nigeria. If you have that number of your citizens in someone’s country, you have to be careful. Whatever we do here can be done to Ghanaians in Nigeria. There could be retaliatory policies,” he cautioned.
Concluding, the High Commissioner emphasized patience and diplomacy in managing Ghana-Nigeria relations.
“Whether we like it or not, Nigerians are our big brothers, in terms of population, economy, and resources. We must handle our relationship with them carefully and wisely.”
