Former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Joe Keshi, has called out Nigerians living in Ghana who are giving the country a bad name by flouting local laws and displacing Ghanaian traders from business spaces.
Keshi, speaking with Vanguard, warned that the negative behaviour of some Nigerians abroad is deepening resentment and fuelling anti-Nigerian sentiments in Ghana.
He said the recent “Nigeria Must Go” protests in Accra, which saw hundreds of Ghanaian traders storm the streets to demand the exit of Nigerian-owned businesses from the retail sector, are not entirely without cause.
Keshi said: “Some Nigerians running businesses on the streets of Ghana behave badly. You have displaced Ghanaians running small businesses, and yet you flaunt your wealth. If you are in Rome, you behave like a Roman. Nigerians should learn to conduct themselves wherever they find themselves.”
He praised the Bola Tinubu administration for quickly responding to the diplomatic rift, but noted that recurring issues like economic displacement and disregard for local regulations are only worsening tensions.
The protests, which erupted in Accra and Kumasi in late July, were reportedly triggered by frustration among Ghanaian traders who accuse Nigerian businesses of violating investment laws, taking over the local retail market, and engaging in illegal activities such as fraud and unlicensed street trading.
Protesters carried placards with messages like “Nigeria Must Go”, claiming Nigerian traders have an unfair advantage due to access to more capital and wider cross-border supply networks.
Social media also played a role in inflaming tensions, with viral, but unverified, allegations ranging from ritual killings and prostitution rings to aggressive land grabbing by Nigerian nationals.
While urging Nigerians in Ghana to show restraint and better conduct, Keshi also appealed to Ghanaians not to overreact.
“Somebody should educate Ghanaians that they are overreacting, especially as their President has a cultural affiliation with Nigeria,” he said.
He recalled that tensions between the two countries go way back. “It was Ghana that started the expulsion of Nigerians in 1969. Nigeria only retaliated in the 1980s,” he added.
