In response to rising concerns among Nigerian nationals in Ghana and diplomatic unease in Abuja, President John Dramani Mahama has assured that Ghana has no plans for mass deportations of Nigerians, calling the alarm over a viral video a “storm in a teacup.”
Addressing Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during her visit as a special envoy from President Bola Tinubu, Mahama emphasized Ghana’s adherence to ECOWAS protocols and the long-standing, fraternal relationship between the two West African nations.
The diplomatic visit was triggered by a viral video, later revealed to be from 2013, which had sparked widespread fear of anti-Nigerian sentiment and impending deportations. Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted the video prompted emergency discussions in Nigeria’s National Assembly and calls from traditional leaders for relatives to return home.
President Mahama, acknowledging past episodes of mass deportation between the two countries in the 1960s and 1980s, declared that such practices have no place in the region’s future:
“That is a part of our past, and it’s an unfortunate past we want to put behind us… none of our two countries should mass deport our citizens ever again.”
He reassured that Ghana distinguishes between individual legal violations and collective blame, noting that isolated criminal incidents involving foreigners are dealt with on a case-by-case basis through judicial due process.
The episode underscores the persistent sensitivity of regional migration issues in West Africa, where shared history, economic ties, and political cooperation remain essential pillars of sub-regional integration and diplomacy.
Story: Lawal Mohammed
