Nigerian merchants in Ghana seek repatriation to Nigeria

Business news for Tuesday, November 17, 2020

Source: Goldstree business

2020-11-17

The current flood of Ghanaian and Nigerian merchants into the former country’s retail markets has worsened as 753 of the latter signed a document denouncing xenophobic attacks against them and requesting that the Nigerian federal government take them home.

Merchants, some of whom have spent more than 25 years in Ghana, have faced closure of their stores for no apparent reason, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, executive director of the Nigerians in the Diaspora Commission, incorrectly claimed on a channel Monday. television (an interview from a widely viewed and reputable Nigerian private television station.

Interestingly, the reason for the closure – that Ghana’s investment code prohibits foreigners from retailing in Ghana with less than $ 1 million in capital – was not explained, leaving viewers with the impression that Ghana has adopted a South African-style xenophobic attitude against Nigerians involved in business in their country.

Fortunately, however, the Nigerian government itself is aware of the true situation, although it does not approve of the Ghanaian government’s stance, which it sees as a result of political demands before the general elections on December 7.

DabirI-Erewa said that so far three ministries have been drafted to try to resolve the conflict: the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Trade and Investment.

She said: “The delegation is in Nigeria to tell the government that they want to return and 753 actually signed the document that says they want to return to Nigeria.

“So with this request from them, what is happening now is that the three ministers involved will have some commitment with them to see what should really be next.

“Now he has said that he wants to come to his country, so there should be no problem about it. They are Nigerians and we are proud of them and happy that they are coming home.

“But they must get back to something significant. As one of them told me when they came to the NIDCOM office, many of them have been there for more than 25 years; so simply uprooting themselves for not having committed any crime, the only crime they have committed is that they are very good at their craft, at their jobs. “

He added that due to the upcoming elections in the country, the president of Ghana would not want to side with his people, who are demanding the closure of Nigerian companies.

“Let’s face it, the President of Ghana will not want to go against his own citizens. And most of the Ghanaian traders have said “we don’t want them.” So after the elections, maybe now they will open. But they will close again. So they cannot be pawns in a game of chess in Ghana, ”he said.

But while he agrees that the Ghanaian government’s stance is largely political, bystanders who follow Nigerian merchants to an inaccurate version of the situation are unaware of the true situation, and this could create unnecessary tension among citizens of Both countries.

In Ghana, the conventional wisdom is that Nigerian traders are trying to take advantage of the situation to enjoy significant support from their government, supposedly to relocate them to their homes.

Despite the falsehoods employed by Nigerian merchants, and their government, which is taking a populist stance similar to the one it is accusing the Ghanaian government, there is genuine concern in Ghana that the situation will damage Ghana’s credentials as a defender of economic integration. in the region. The African Continental Free Trade Agreement is due to start from January 1, 2021 and Ghana has managed to win the right to host its secretariat as a pillar to establish itself as a regional hub for business support services such as financial services and the air Transport.