Nigerians in Ghana have cried out after authorities in Ghana closed about 400 of their businesses.

More than 400 businesses owned by Nigerians have been closed by Ghanaian authorities, sparking a protest by owners who have issued a 1-week ultimatum within which to resolve the issue surrounding the maltreatment of Nigerian business community in Ghana.

The National Association of Nigerian Traders (NANTS) have written a petition to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on the issue. The association gave a one-week final notice to the commission to intervene in the matter, following with a warning that the association would take over the ECOWAS premises if the situation in Ghana was not addressed.

In their protest march to the ECOWAS Secretariat on Monday in Abuja, the traders urged the Commission to intervene to stop the alleged victimization of Nigerian business men and women in Ghana. The President of NANT, Mr. Ken Ukaoha, stated that the development has reached a point where the Ghanaian Parliament has passed a legislation to make the business environment hostile to foreign investors.

He said that the ECOWAS President, Jean-Claude Brou, had been petitioned over the development. Ukaoha said,

“This is a save our soul call and the urgency of this protest is to inform you of the state of fear, uncertainty and insecurity that Nigerian traders are currently subjected to in the hands of the government and people of Ghana in different cities under the coordination of Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and Ministry of Trade and Industry.” 

As told by him, the members of the association have been shut out of their business premises in accordance with the eviction order dated July 27, 2018, demanding that they must have $1m as minimum foreign investment capital to do business in Ghana.