Nigeria and Ghana have agreed to strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation to combat Afrophobia, xenophobia and violence against African migrants, describing such acts as a threat to the continent’s unity and integration.
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 Ablakwa, on the sidelines of the ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit holding in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from July 12 to July 19.
A statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said both ministers condemned attacks on fellow Africans, stressing that such actions contradict the principles of Pan-Africanism and undermine Africa’s collective progress.
The ministers called for urgent and coordinated regional and continental measures to address the root causes of Afrophobia, protect the lives and dignity of African migrants, and promote peaceful coexistence across the continent.
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They maintained that criminal acts by migrants should be handled in line with the rule of law, warning against mob violence and indiscriminate attacks on law-abiding African citizens.
Both countries also agreed to place the issue of Afrophobia on the agenda of the next African Union Summit and work with other member states to strengthen monitoring, early warning systems and preventive diplomacy within the AU framework.
Enikanolaiye commended Ghana for its longstanding commitment to Pan-Africanism and called for stronger consultation and preventive diplomacy between both countries to address emerging issues before they escalate.
He conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s goodwill to Ghanaian President John Mahama and praised Ghana’s leadership in advocating reparations for Africa and people of African descent over the transatlantic slave trade and colonial injustices.
The Nigerian minister also congratulated Ghana on the adoption of the landmark United Nations resolution on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the successful hosting of the Next Steps High-Level Conference, reaffirming Nigeria’s support for reparative justice.
In his remarks, Ablakwa congratulated Enikanolaiye on his appointment and pledged Ghana’s commitment to closer collaboration with Nigeria.
He supported calls for practical preventive diplomacy through regular dialogue and communication between African countries and appreciated Nigeria’s backing for the UN resolution on reparative justice.
Ablakwa also highlighted recent international efforts supporting reparative justice, including apologies from the Pope, the Church of England and the Church of Scotland, as well as ongoing restitution of African artefacts by some European countries.
The ministers expressed concern over recent Afrophobic protests and attacks targeting African nationals in South Africa, noting that such incidents undermine African unity, the free movement of persons and the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
They reaffirmed the strong ties between Nigeria and Ghana and urged African Union member states to uphold the principles of Pan-Africanism, mutual respect and regional integration through sustained public education, dialogue and cooperation.
Both ministers pledged to continue working together within ECOWAS, the African Union and other multilateral platforms to promote a peaceful, inclusive and prosperous Africa.
NAN
