FREETOWN, Sierra Leone – Nigeria and Ghana have agreed to strengthen cooperation against rising Afrophobic protests and violence targeting African nationals, particularly following recent incidents in South Africa.
Okay News reports that the agreement was reached during a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and Ghanaian Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa on the sidelines of the ongoing ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit.
The ministers condemned xenophobia, Afrophobia and violence against fellow Africans, warning that such incidents undermine Pan-Africanism, regional integration and the free movement of people across the continent.
They called for urgent and coordinated responses to address the root causes of tensions and protect the lives and dignity of African migrants. Both sides stressed that criminals among migrant communities must face the law, rather than law-abiding foreigners being targeted through mob violence.
Nigeria and Ghana agreed to work with other like-minded African countries to place Afrophobia on the agenda of the next African Union Summit. They also backed stronger AU mechanisms, including enhanced monitoring, early warning systems and preventive diplomacy.
Enikanolaiye also commended Ghana’s leadership on Pan-Africanism and reparative justice for Africans and people of African descent affected by the transatlantic slave trade and colonialism.
He conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s greetings to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and congratulated Ghana on its role in advancing international discussions on reparations.
Ablakwa, in turn, welcomed Nigeria’s support for the campaign for reparative justice and praised the Nigerian delegation’s contribution to the recent high-level conference on the issue.
The two countries reaffirmed their longstanding ties and pledged to continue working through ECOWAS, the African Union and other multilateral platforms to promote a more inclusive, peaceful and prosperous Africa.
