Ghana and Nigeria have had a long-lasting relationship which can largely be described as cordial. Nigeria and Ghana have the largest and second-largest economies in West Africa, respectively; Nigeria has been an important source of investment in Ghana, and Ghana is a preferred destination for Nigerians seeking greener pastures and pursuing tertiary education. Also, it is estimated that about 500,000 Ghanaians are living in Nigeria.
Nigeria went to the polls on Saturday, February 25, 2023 to elect a new leader. Rashid Bawa, the Ghanaian High Commissioner to Nigeria, has pledged that his office will take all necessary measures to ensure the safety of Ghanaians living there. Nigeria’s elections are currently officially over, and the results are being collated.
Although there have been few cases of unrest in a few polling stations across the nation, it has largely been seen as a rather peaceful election. But, Mr. Bawa stated on Sunday’s episode of The Probe/Nigeria Decides on JoyNews that Ghanaians living there will be safe from harm. He further assured that, there had been no incident involving a Ghanaian so far and that they were keeping their hands on deck as matters were not yet certain. He added that they will not relent in their efforts until the election results are announced and things are normalized.
Mr. Bawa reiterated that the high commission was communicating with nearly all of the associations in the federation, from Maiduguri to River States and he hoped that there would be no issues during this time. He also assured Ghanaians whose relatives are living in Nigeria that everything was being done to safeguard their safety during this time.
Why Is The Security of Ghanaians Living in Nigeria so Important?
Violence during elections can lead to loss of lives and political and socio-economic instability: When this occurs , Ghanain citizens in Nigeria will strive to come back home, where it is safer. The government will also have to expend more resources to accomodate and protect them.
Increase in crime rate: In the case of a crisis, the high immigration population will lead to increased crime rate in the region. Ghana’s security may also be in jeopardy if there is a trend of growing immigration, particularly, a rising number of illegal immigrants who will become lawbreakers. This, in the long term, could result in anarchy, especially if they have a significant impact on local residents.
Economic activity: Insecurity in Nigeria during or after the elections will likely affect economic activity in both countries to a large extent. Ghana imports crude oil from Nigeria, insecurity in the import country will mean Ghana can no longer trade peacefully with Nigeria and this will adversely hamper our local economy and socio-economic development in the country.
It is therefore crucial that peace and stability are maintained in Nigeria during this time as the success or progress of Ghana will depend largely on the outcome of Nigeria’s elections.
Priscilla Fumadorh
Priscilla is an entrepreneur and a creative communicator who loves to communicate through writing. She is passionate about national economic issues and does not miss a chance to offer her opinions on them for the good of the country.