Nigeria and Ghana have agreed to strengthen their bilateral partnership in tackling xenophobia, Afrophobia, intolerance and violence against African migrants across the continent.
The resolution was reached 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 held in Freetown, Sierra Leone, from July 12 to July 19.
In a statement issued by the spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, both ministers condemned violence against fellow Africans, describing such acts as inconsistent with the ideals of Pan-Africanism and Africa’s collective development.
They called for coordinated regional and continental efforts to address the root causes of Afrophobic protests, safeguard the lives and dignity of African migrants, and promote peaceful coexistence across the continent.
The ministers also stressed that while criminal acts committed by migrants should be addressed in accordance with the rule of law, innocent and law-abiding African citizens must not become victims of mob violence or xenophobic attacks.
As part of their commitments, Nigeria and Ghana agreed to work together to ensure the issue of Afrophobia is included on the agenda of the next African Union Summit.
They further pledged to collaborate with other African countries in advocating stronger mechanisms within the African Union, including enhanced monitoring systems, early warning measures and preventive diplomacy to forestall future incidents.
Enikanolaiye commended Ghana for its swift engagement and praised the longstanding relationship between both countries. He emphasized the importance of strategic consultations and preventive diplomacy to resolve emerging issues before they escalate.
The Nigerian minister also conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s goodwill to Ghanaian President John Mahama, while commending Ghana for its continued leadership in promoting Pan-Africanism.
He praised the country’s advocacy for reparations for Africans and people of African descent over the injustices of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and colonialism, and congratulated President Mahama on the landmark United Nations resolution on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and Ghana’s successful hosting of the Next Steps High-Level Conference on reparative justice.
Enikanolaiye reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for the conference’s resolutions and its commitment to the pursuit of reparative justice for Africa.
In his response, Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Ablakwa, congratulated Enikanolaiye on his appointment and expressed confidence in stronger collaboration between both nations.
He also endorsed the call for practical preventive diplomacy, stressing that stronger communication and closer cooperation between African countries would help address emerging challenges without unnecessary bureaucracy.
