Nigeria and Ghana have agreed to strengthen collaboration in confronting the growing wave of Afrophobic protests and violence against African nationals across the continent, with a commitment to push the issue onto the agenda of the next African Union (AU) Summit.
The agreement 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 Okudzeto Ablakwa, on the sidelines of the ongoing ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Freetown on Friday.
The two ministers held what officials described as frank and constructive discussions on the recent Afrophobic protests and attacks targeting African nationals in South Africa, expressing deep concern over the resurgence of xenophobic sentiments and violence.
They warned that such incidents threaten the ideals of African unity, solidarity, free movement of persons and regional integration as enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Both countries strongly condemned all forms of xenophobia, Afrophobia, intolerance and violence directed at fellow Africans, describing the attacks as inconsistent with the principles of Pan-Africanism and the continent’s collective aspirations for peace, development and integration.
The ministers called for urgent and coordinated regional and continental action to address the underlying causes of anti-migrant tensions, safeguard the lives and dignity of African migrants and promote peaceful coexistence among citizens of African states.
They stressed that while individuals who engage in criminal activities should be dealt with strictly in accordance with the rule of law, criminal conduct must not be used as a pretext for mob violence or collective punishment against law-abiding migrants and other African nationals.
As part of their resolutions, Nigeria and Ghana agreed to work jointly to ensure that the issue of Afrophobia receives formal consideration at the next African Union Summit.
The two countries also pledged to engage other like-minded AU member states in advocating stronger continental mechanisms to combat xenophobia and Afrophobia, including enhanced monitoring systems, early warning frameworks and preventive diplomacy aimed at forestalling future outbreaks of violence.
The ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting African solidarity, protecting the rights of citizens across the continent and advancing the vision of a united Africa founded on mutual respect, peace and regional cooperation.
