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Nigeria and Ghana have agreed to work together to combat Afrophobic violence across the continent and push for the issue to be placed on the agenda of the next African Union Summit, following bilateral talks in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The agreement was reached on Friday during a meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, and Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on the sidelines of the ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit.
Both ministers expressed deep concern over the resurgence of Afrophobic protests and attacks targeting African nationals, particularly in South Africa, describing such incidents as a threat to African unity, regional integration, and the free movement of persons under the African Union and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
“Both sides condemned all forms of xenophobia, Afrophobia, intolerance and violence against fellow Africans, emphasising that such acts are contrary to the shared values of Pan-Africanism and the collective progress of the continent,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a press release.
While affirming that criminals among migrant populations must be treated in accordance with the rule of law, they stressed that such individuals should not be subjected to mob violence that often targets regular, law-abiding African citizens.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ghana, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Friday, 17 July 2026. pic.twitter.com/omv6Ujc2DI
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria 🇳🇬 (@NigeriaMFA) July 18, 2026
Ambassador Enikanolaiye conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s greetings to Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama and commended Ghana for championing Pan-Africanism and reparations for historical injustices suffered during the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the colonial period.
He congratulated President Mahama on the landmark UN resolution on the Transatlantic Slave Trade and on Ghana’s hosting of the Next Steps High-Level Conference on reparative justice, reaffirming Nigeria’s full support for the initiative.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister Ablakwa acknowledged Nigeria’s support for the UN resolution and its active participation in advancing reparative justice.
He noted a growing international recognition of historical injustices, citing apologies from the Pope, the Church of England, and the Church of Scotland, alongside efforts by European countries to return looted artefacts.
The two countries agreed to collaborate with other African nations to advocate for stronger AU mechanisms, including enhanced monitoring, early warning systems, and preventive diplomacy to address Afrophobic violence.
They also called on all AU member states to recommit to Pan-Africanism and mutual respect.
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria 🇳🇬 (@NigeriaMFA) July 18, 2026
