NIGERIAN Shops Shut Down at Abossey Okai yet AGAIN: What are the FACTS?
Today in Accra, September 8, 2025 – Tensions flared again today at Abossey Okai in Accra as spare parts traders shut down shops belonging to Nigerians. According to reports, Ghanaian shop owners locked up Nigerian businesses in what they describe as a response to “unfair competition” and “foreign dominance” of the local trade. The shutdown has been tied to ongoing protests and renewed calls for Nigerians to leave Ghana, echoing the “Nigeria Must Go” rhetoric that has resurfaced in recent weeks.
Ghanaian traders argue that Nigerians are violating laws governing foreign retail trade. Ghana’s Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) Act reserves certain retail activities for Ghanaians only. Authorities have repeatedly cited this law to justify raids and closures of Nigerian shops in Accra and Kumasi.
But the full picture tells a different story. Nigerian traders at Abossey Okai insist they are being unfairly targeted. They point out that both Ghanaians and Nigerians purchase their goods from the same supply sources, often from Dubai or directly from Nigeria. The real tension, they argue, comes from pricing.
When the Ghanaian government released a price list for traders to regulate costs, only Nigerian traders complied. They sold within the approved price range. Ghanaian traders, however, ignored the directive and continued their long-standing practice of overpricing goods. This inflationary behavior has kept prices high across Ghana, squeezing ordinary consumers. Instead of addressing this unethical practice, local traders have turned their anger on Nigerians—who attract customers precisely because their prices are fair.
It is hypocrisy laid bare. Ghanaian consumers flock to Nigeria for affordable goods, yet when Nigerians bring the same fair pricing into Ghana, they are punished with shop closures. The claim of “unfair competition” collapses when examined closely—it is not Nigerians destabilizing the market, but Ghanaian traders inflating prices for profit.
Beyond trade, this tension reveals a troubling pattern. Ghanaians cite retail laws to justify locking out Nigerians, but these laws remain unchanged despite ECOWAS protocols guaranteeing Nigerians the right to reside and trade freely in Ghana. The silence of the Nigerian government is even more alarming. Abuja has failed to firmly challenge these repeated attacks, leaving its citizens vulnerable to harassment and exclusion.
If this situation were reversed—if Nigeria enforced similar laws on Ghanaians flooding Nigerian markets—the uproar would be swift. Yet in Ghana, such actions continue unchecked.
It is time for the Nigerian community in Ghana to organize. Nigerians must form a committee of capable leaders to take these matters directly to the Ghanaian government. Draconian laws that disadvantage ECOWAS citizens must be reviewed, and practices that weaponize legislation against Nigerians must end. Without collective action, Nigerian traders will continue to be scapegoated, their livelihoods destroyed in plain sight.
The events at Abossey Okai on September 8, 2025 are more than a dispute over shops. They are a sign that xenophobic rhetoric, if left unanswered, will keep escalating. The cry of “Nigeria Must Go” is no longer just a slogan—it is being enforced on the ground, one locked shop at a time.
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