FAKE NEWS & Media Sensationalism Fuels Xenophobia Between Ghana & Nigeria
In Ghana today, the greatest weapon of division is not the gun, but the headline. Media sensationalism has become the tool of choice for those who wish to fan xenophobic flames, particularly against Nigerians and other foreign communities.
We have seen this movie before. A shaky video clip is posted online, framed with dramatic captions: “Nigerians are taking over!” or “Foreigners destroying Ghana!” Within hours, the video goes viral, re-shared thousands of times, stripped of context, and presented as gospel truth. Fear spreads faster than fact, and anger follows. By the time fact-checkers or responsible journalists step in, the damage is already done.
Misrepresentation and inaccurate reports, pushing xenophobic agendas, and creating an air of tension and a sense of looming conflict in the air.
While thYes, some foreign nationals do engage in crime, but spreading false narratives that make visitors feel unwelcome or unsafe is unacceptable—especially when those reactions are fueled by sensationalized, distorted, or deliberately misleading information.
When Misinformation Becomes a Weapon
Not long ago, a video was circulated claiming that Nigerian traders in Ghana had been attacked in a xenophobic raid. Fact-checkers later exposed it as false—yet the damage was already visible in angry comments, calls for retaliation, and a deepening sense of suspicion between communities.
The Igbo King bruhaha in Ghana is another one, as I followed this news, it immidiately became clear that the people fanning the flames of an Igbo/Nigeria conspiracy to take over Ghana, have done so without proper understanding of the laws of Ghana and also a refusing to face the facts, due to once a gain, sensationalized news.
Clips of the interview with Igbo Leader in Ghana, HRH Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu, have been cut, twisted out of context, and reposted endlessly. He has since apologized, dropped the title of ‘King’ for ‘Leader,’ postponed this year’s New Yam Festival, and even faced questioning by law enforcement, who cleared him of all charges. Yet if you scroll through the pages of hate-driven bloggers and TikTokers, you would think none of this ever happened.
Social platforms like TikTok and Facebook have now become amplifiers of hate, where content creators, many of whom are behind profiles with no real names or history, can create a narrative and immediately gain traction from people who see this “Nigeria Must Go” situation as a means to gain easy likes and follows, from the many misinformed Ghanaians and Nigerians who have fed into the “Hate” hype. Their profit is measured in clicks, but the cost is borne by ordinary Ghanaians who must live with the hostility these lies generate.
The Cost of Lies
What is the real price of this sensationalism? It is not abstract. It is the Nigerian trader who is harassed in Accra markets. It is the Ghanaian landlord who suddenly sees all foreigners as a threat. It is the weakening of ECOWAS solidarity, and the fueling of conflicts that our youth will inherit long after the bloggers have pocketed their advertising revenue.
Worse still, xenophobic misinformation creates the perfect cover for political mismanagement. Instead of addressing unemployment, corruption, or the decay in infrastructure, leaders can point to foreigners as the problem. The media becomes the distraction, the people become divided, and those in power remain untouched.
A Call for Accountability
Enough is enough. If the government of Ghana is serious about protecting its people, then it must go beyond condemnation. Prosecute the fake news peddlers. Charge the bloggers and TikTokers who knowingly spread lies that incite hatred. Enforce the Ghana Journalists Association code of ethics which warns against misrepresentation and sensationalism. Make an example of those who profit from division, because free speech is not a license to destroy social cohesion.
The Bottom Line
Media sensationalism remains a serious problem in Ghana, and right now, it is a tool of destruction. Left unchecked, it will continue to feed xenophobia, weaken regional unity, and endanger the very peace Ghana has long been proud of. The government must act, and citizens must demand responsibility. Otherwise, we may wake up one day to realize that the greatest threat to our nation was not foreign at all, but born in our own headlines and hashtags.
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