The Taming of Nigerians in Ghana and South Africa: What Exactly Is the Crime of Being Nigerian?

Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

In recent years, Nigerians living in Ghana and South Africa have faced targeted discrimination, xenophobia and state-backed crackdowns that have left many questioning: What is truly wrong? Is the problem with the Nigerian people? Our government? Or is it rooted in envy, fear or cultural misunderstanding? The situation has worsened so much that the word “Nigerian” now evokes caution, hostility or outright rejection in countries where we were once welcomed as brothers. It is time to dissect this crisis with brutal honesty.

Nigeria: Giant or Target Let’s start from the obvious. Nigeria is the most populous black nation on earth, with over 220 million people, a dominant cultural influence and economic reach that stretches across Africa. Nigerians are visible in nearly every industry; from banking, tech, fashion, music, academics and more professionally. From the bustling markets of Accra to the high-rise offices in Johannesburg, the Nigerian footprint is evident, but that footprint has turned into a target.

In 2019, South Africa witnessed some of the most brutal anti-immigrant violence in modern African history. Nigerians were chased, beaten and even killed under the pretext that they “took jobs” from locals and were “criminals.” Ironically, many of these Nigerians were legal immigrants, business owners or skilled workers. The same narrative plays out in Ghana, where the government continues to harass Nigerian traders, shutting down their shops, demanding unrealistic business capital requirements and subtly encouraging nationalist sentiments.

We must ask: Is this about CRIME or is it about COMPETITION?

Envy Masquerading as Nationalism. Professor PLO Lumumba of Kenya once said, “The tragedy of Africa is that Africans are in the business of colonizing themselves.” The treatment of Nigerians abroad is not about our attitudes or our government alone. it is about envy. Envy of our dominance in trade. Envy of our linguistic confidence. Envy of our fearlessness in the face of adversity. Nigerians are loud because we are expressive; we are bold because we are survivors.

As music icon Burna Boy said, “We are Africans, but Nigerians carry the spirit of resilience in extra doses.” Unfortunately, this same resilience has become a threat to host nations who feel overshadowed economically, culturally and even socially by Nigerians.

In Ghana, Nigerians control significant portions of the retail market. In South Africa, Nigerians are deeply involved in hospitality, entertainment, education, sports and legal enterprise. Instead of collaboration, these successes have sparked coordinated efforts to frustrate Nigerian migrants. And local governments, failing to address their own unemployment and corruption, deflect blame by scapegoating foreigners and especially Nigerians.

Government Failure and Diplomatic Weakness. While the governments of Ghana and South Africa must be held accountable for the injustices, we cannot ignore the negligence of Nigeria’s own leadership. Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded to these attacks with cowardly press statements and useless diplomatic jargon. Where is the assertiveness of a government defending its people abroad?

When South African mobs killed and injured Nigerians, the Nigerian government did not demand justice with urgency or economic sanctions. When Ghanaian authorities locked Nigerian shops, our diplomatic mission begged instead of taking a firm stand. As former South African president Thabo Mbeki once warned, “We must deal with the real causes of our problems not find scapegoats among those who come to us in peace.”

Nigeria has the economic power to retaliate. Our imports and exports to these nations are substantial. Nigerian-owned businesses bring millions of dollars into these host economies annually. Yet, we act like a toothless giant; feared only for our population, but respected by none just because our government lacks the will to defend its people.

Are Nigerians Too Loud? This is a common accusation that Nigerians are too loud, too flashy, too aggressive, but what critics call “loud” is often just confidence. Nigerians do not whisper in the face of injustice. We don’t shrink in foreign lands. We thrive and we let you know we are thriving. That is not a sin.

Cultural assertiveness is often mistaken for arrogance, but would we prefer to walk around heads bowed, pretending we are not the drivers of African innovation, culture and progress? Nigerians have a saying: “Person wey dey run no go carry last.” We push ourselves because our system has failed us and wherever we go, we push limits to survive.

LET US NOT APOLOGIZE FOR SUCCEEDING.

The Criminal Stereotype: Fact or Fabrication? Of course, not every Nigerian abroad is a saint. Like every country, Nigeria has its share of criminals; but to use the actions of a few to tarnish an entire nation is intellectually dishonest and morally bankrupt.

If crime is the issue, are Ghanaian or South African prisons filled with only Nigerians? Statistics from South Africa’s Department of Correctional Services reveal that Nigerians make up less than 5% of the foreign inmate population, a far cry from the image painted by media and mobs. In Ghana, less than 1% of foreign convicts are Nigerians. The real danger is not Nigerians; it is propaganda.

As Namibian freedom fighter Sam Nujoma once stated, “An injury to one African is an injury to all. We must never forget this sacred unity.” We must stop accepting the criminal stereotype and fight it with facts. The average Nigerian abroad is a student, a trader, a professional and not a threat.

What Must Be Done?
1. Nigeria Must Fight for Its People.
Our government must take decisive steps; economic retaliations, policy reviews and protective diplomacy. If you touch one Nigerian, you touch us all. That must be our foreign policy mantra.

2. African Unity Must Be More Than a Slogan.
The African Union and ECOWAS must stop pretending and start acting. Attacks on Nigerians are attacks on African unity. Countries hosting Nigerians must be held accountable for hate crimes and institutional xenophobia.

3. Change the Narrative.
Nigerians abroad must actively promote positive stories. From Dr. Philip Ozuah, CEO of Montefiore Health System in the U.S., to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in literature, we have heroes. Let their stories be louder than the noise of our detractors.

4. Nigerians Must Be Vigilant.
Avoid illegal activities, yes, but also avoid silence. Form communities. Work with local authorities. Use the law. Fight stereotypes with excellence.

My Final Thoughts on This.
The targeting of Nigerians in Ghana and South Africa is not just about crime, noise. (Loud) or culture. It is a mix of government failure, local envy and institutional scapegoating. Nigerians must not COWER. We are not PERFECT, but we are POWERFUL. Our diaspora drives Africa’s intellectual, creative and economic engine. Rather than bow our heads, we must raise our voices and assert our right to live, work and thrive wherever we are. As Kwame Nkrumah once declared, “The forces that unite us are intrinsic and greater than the superimposed influences that keep us apart.” That unity must start with Africans protecting Nigerians and Nigeria protecting Nigerians.

Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com