President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Ghanaian President John Mahama are jointly working to defuse rising tensions following recent protests against Nigerians in Ghana, the Federal Government has confirmed.
The assurance came from Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who led a Nigerian delegation to Accra on a fact-finding and diplomatic mission.
Speaking during a joint press conference with Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Ablakwa, on Wednesday, Odumegwu-Ojukwu dismissed fears of widespread hostility toward Nigerians living in Ghana.
“I haven’t seen people burning tyres in the streets or carrying placards everywhere calling for Nigerians to be deported,” she said.
“This shows that the Ghanaian government and President Mahama have stepped up to the situation. They are handling it effectively, and we will continue engaging all stakeholders.”
She said the mission was prompted by viral reports and social media videos that stirred panic in Nigeria over claims of xenophobic protests and demands for Nigerians to leave Ghana.
“We are here in the Republic of Ghana on a fact-finding mission as a special envoy of President Tinubu. Our goal is to calm tensions and ensure the safety of our nationals,” she added.
The minister expressed gratitude to President Mahama for his cooperation and hospitality and emphasised the importance of preserving the historic and strategic relationship between both West African nations.
She cautioned against the dangers of misinformation spread via social media, particularly videos that circulated involving a self-proclaimed Igbo monarch allegedly attempting to establish a kingdom in Ghana, which reportedly sparked outrage.
“We must prevent actions that could endanger the lives of innocent people. Most of the tensions are being fueled by online content without proper context,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu noted.
She proposed the establishment of a Nigeria-Ghana joint commission to proactively address misinformation and promote bilateral cooperation in managing social tensions.
“Viral videos and inflammatory rhetoric can cause significant damage and stoke tensions unnecessarily,” she warned.
The minister assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is closely monitoring the situation and will maintain ongoing diplomatic engagement to guarantee the safety and welfare of its citizens in Ghana.
“Our citizens just want assurance that their lives and businesses in Ghana are safe and that they remain welcome in a country we consider a close ally,” she concluded.
