In a firm display of regional solidarity, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has reiterated his country’s unwavering commitment to the principles of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), particularly the free movement of people and goods across member states.
President Mahama gave this assurance during a high-level meeting at the Presidential Palace in Accra with a Nigerian delegation led by Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and special envoy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The meeting comes on the heels of recent protests in Ghana targeting Nigerian nationals, sparked by the resurfacing of a decade-old video made by a Nigerian resident in the country.
The viral video rekindled public concern and generated tension within some Ghanaian communities, prompting diplomatic intervention from Abuja.
According to a statement issued by the envoy’s media aide, Magnus Eze, President Mahama urged the Nigerian delegation to relay a message of calm to President Tinubu, stressing that the isolated protests, which involved fewer than 50 individuals, did not reflect the sentiments of the Ghanaian population.
“Tell your president he can sleep peacefully. Nigeria and Ghana are brothers. We have a shared history, and no incident will tear us apart,” Mahama assured the delegation.
He emphasized that the Ghanaian government acted swiftly to de-escalate the situation and reaffirmed the safety of Nigerian lives, businesses, and property in the country.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in her remarks, conveyed Nigeria’s deep concern over the welfare of its citizens in Ghana. “Our people at home are very apprehensive,” she stated, adding that her team’s mission was twofold: to de-escalate tensions and to lay the groundwork for a permanent Nigeria-Ghana Joint Commission.
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The proposed commission, she explained, would serve as a collaborative platform for addressing migration issues and creating sustainable opportunities for the youth in both countries, particularly in the face of rising unemployment among people under 45.
“We are encouraging Nigerian youths to find purpose at home, and if they must migrate, to be worthy ambassadors of our country,” she said.
During the visit, the Nigerian envoy also met with Nigerian nationals in Ghana, urging them to respect local laws and customs as a gesture of goodwill and to preserve the strong diplomatic ties between the two nations.
Accompanying Odumegwu-Ojukwu were senior officials from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Ambassador Regina Ocheni, Director of the Africa Affairs Department; Ambassador Innocent Iwejuo, Director of the Office of the Minister of State; and Mr. Ajuluchukwu Eze, Special Assistant (Administration) to the Minister of State.
This diplomatic exchange underscores a continuing effort by both governments to maintain peace and reinforce West African unity under the ECOWAS framework, even in the face of challenges posed by misinformation and economic migration.