Nigeria and Ghana have agreed to work together to push for stronger African Union (AU) measures against the rising incidents of Afrophobic and xenophobic attacks targeting African nationals across the continent.
The commitment was made during a bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on the sidelines of the ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The discussions centred on strengthening bilateral relations and addressing emerging regional challenges through closer diplomatic engagement.
Ambassador Enikanolaiye reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to preventive diplomacy as a means of resolving disputes before they escalate and conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s goodwill message to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama. He also commended Ghana’s leadership in promoting Pan-Africanism and its advocacy for reparative justice for Africa and people of African descent.
The Nigerian minister congratulated President Mahama on the adoption of the United Nations resolution on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the successful hosting of the Next Steps High-Level Conference, pledging Nigeria’s continued support for efforts aimed at securing justice for the historical injustices of slavery and colonialism.
Responding, Ghana’s Foreign Minister congratulated Enikanolaiye on his appointment and called for stronger, action-oriented cooperation between the two countries. He acknowledged Nigeria’s support for the UN resolution and highlighted growing international recognition of reparative justice, including apologies by major religious institutions and the return of African cultural artefacts by several European countries.
A key aspect of the meeting was the growing concern over renewed Afrophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa. Both ministers condemned xenophobia, Afrophobia and all forms of violence against fellow Africans, describing them as contrary to the ideals of Pan-African unity, regional integration and the free movement of people under the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
They stressed that while individuals found guilty of criminal acts should be prosecuted in accordance with the law, innocent migrants must not be subjected to mob attacks or collective punishment. The ministers also called for coordinated regional and continental efforts to address the root causes of such tensions and to better protect African migrants.
To strengthen Africa’s response, Nigeria and Ghana agreed to jointly seek the inclusion of Afrophobia on the agenda of the next African Union Summit. They also pledged to work with other member states to establish stronger continental mechanisms, including early warning systems, enhanced monitoring and preventive diplomacy to curb future outbreaks of anti-African violence.
The meeting ended with both countries reaffirming their commitment to deepening bilateral relations and working through ECOWAS, the African Union and other multilateral platforms to promote peace, stability, Pan-African solidarity and sustainable development across the continent.
