Ghana’s Mahama says no plans for mass deportation of Nigerians

Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama has moved to douse tensions over recent viral videos that sparked fears of a crackdown on Nigerians in Ghana, assuring that there are no plans for mass deportations.

Speaking during a visit from Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, President Mahama said Ghana remains fully committed to ECOWAS protocols and the principle of free movement across West Africa.

“We are members of ECOWAS, and we have the ECOWAS protocol that allows our citizens to travel freely between our countries,” Mahama said, according to a release by his office. “There is no plan whatsoever for mass deportation. It is a storm in a teacup.”

His remarks follow heightened anxiety in Nigeria after a viral protest video circulated online, with some Ghanaians calling for the removal of Nigerians from their communities. The video triggered debates in Nigeria’s National Assembly and concern among community leaders and traditional rulers, with some advising their relatives in Ghana to return home.

Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu conveyed these concerns to Mahama, noting the widespread fears of property destruction and forced repatriations.

“The Nigerian people and government were deeply alarmed by the viral footage,” she said, “with concerns that Nigerian-owned businesses could be targeted and citizens expelled.”

In response, President Mahama reaffirmed the deep historical ties between both countries, describing Ghana and Nigeria as “siblings of the same parents.”

“I think that [mass deportation] is a part of our past — an unfortunate past that we want to put behind us,” he said. “None of our two countries should ever resort to mass deportation again.”

“Storm in a teacup”

While acknowledging that some foreign nationals may have committed crimes, Mahama stressed that such cases would be dealt with on an individual basis in accordance with Ghanaian law — not through collective punishment.

He attributed the latest tensions to a resurfaced video from 2013 showing an individual claiming to be an “Igbo king” discussing land acquisition. That clip, Mahama said, was wrongly interpreted as a current event and inflamed public sentiment.

“That video is a bit of a storm in a teacup,” he said, adding that traditional councils can only be established through Ghanaian legal structures.

Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu praised Mahama’s leadership and reassurances, noting that her team’s visit had revealed a calm atmosphere in Ghana — contrary to the initial panic.