Resolving the Growing Threat of Xenophobia Against Nigerians

In July 2025, the online circulation of a viral video showcasing what seemed to be a mass demonstration against Nigerians in Accra, Ghana, spread like wildfire. The video, which began circulating on social media and news around the world, turned out to be a maliciously edited mix of old footage, including from the 2023 Ghana Party in the Park in London, as well as other protests. In reality, just over 100 people met in Accra at Obra Spot, but the event escalated into a near-diplomatic incident between Nigeria and Ghana.

In an age where misinformation can proliferate from a few dozen people propelled by the use of smartphones and social media, we see how a small group of voices has the ability to mean international tensions. But, aside from the faux optics, the underlying issues are still worth discussing. What is it that keeps generating outbursts of animosity towards Nigerians across the continent? Question is this just an issue of undocumented immigration, or rather other tensions of a social, economic and historical nature?

 

The Lingering Shadow of "Ghana Must Go"

In order to know today, we need to look back at yesterday. The 1983 “Ghana Must Go” debacle, when Nigeria deported more than 2 million illegal migrants, predominantly from Ghana, affected inter-West African relations as well. They were forcibly and violently dislocated. Thousands of Ghanaians returned home, many with little more than their possessions in the striped plastic bags, now referred to across the continent as “Ghana Must Go” bags.

This history is still a sore point in Ghana-Nigeria relations and is brought up as an example whenever bilateral tensions arise. But the animosities of today’s fighting go beyond historic ones. For Nigerian students, entrepreneurs, and professionals in Ghana, there has been increasing levels of hostility, arbitrary shuttering of businesses, and negative policies around immigration.

 

Economic Dominance: Nigeria’s Success Breeds Resentment

There is one real cause of the hostility against Nigerians in Africa that is uncontestable, which has to do with the economic might of Nigeria as a market and a human capital pool.

- Indeed, Nigeria is the largest economy in West Africa, contributing 61.8% of ECOWAS’ GDP.

- The Dangote Group, Nigeria’s industrial empire, is seeking to generate $30 billion in revenue by 2026.

- United Bank for Africa (UBA) generates over half its income outside Nigeria, operating in 24 countries across Africa.

As a single country, Nigeria’s footprint in Africa is massive, with more than 200 million people, a rapidly growing technology ecosystem, and the largest cultural exports in Nollywood and Afrobeats. And while the Nigerian creativity and resilience are being celebrated globally, these are qualities that are now being perceived as menacing within Africa, particularly in countries that face economic stagnation or youth unemployment.

As one commentator says, “When you dominate too much, people stop asking, How do we compete? and begin to ask, “How do we eliminate the competition?”

 

South Africa, Kenya, Uganda: A Pattern of Hostility

Ghana isn’t the only country where Nigeria will have problems. The history of xenophobia in South Africa in this regard is deadly:

- Human Rights Watch puts the death toll from xenophobic violence in South Africa since 1994 at 669, and over 127,000 have been displaced.

- Most of the victims were Nigerians, who were falsely blamed for a monopoly of business opportunities or crimes.

 

The official data tells a different story:

- While only 7.5% of prisoners in South Africa in 2023 were foreign nationals, 60% of crime suspects arrested were classified as “illegal immigrants.”

- There is a contradiction here that also emphasizes the way Nigerians can be scapegoated without evidence.

Much like the case in Kenya and Uganda, Nigerians are also subjected to growing scrutiny, painted as either economic opportunists or job-stealing figures. There are stereotypes online that belittle them, and Nigerian citizens searching for visas in some countries incur increasing restrictions.

 

The Dual Identity: Nigeria’s Gift and Curse

This is why Nigerians are both revered and feared across the rest of Africa. And when Nigerians are good, they are brilliant, award-winning film-makers and tech innovators, noble laureates and global entrepreneurs. Yet when a few bad apples inevitably do surface, they tend to be loud and visible, making headlines, occupying courtrooms, and trending on social media.

It is this duality that makes Nigerians ripe for scapegoating, particularly when local systems are stressed. In an economic crisis, there is a need for a visible scapegoat; Nigerians, their confidence, their numbers, and their success are often the scapegoats.

But this characterization of Nigerian identity as linked to criminality is an assumption that is both unfair and dangerous. It breeds disinformation and violence, and works against an ethos of pan Africanism.

 

The Role of Social Media in Fanning Tensions

Social media has a disproportionate impact in fanning the flames between Nigerians and other Africans. The 2025 Accra Protest video, which went viral due to several edited versions and captions, demonstrates how quickly perception can overshadow reality.

As more and more African countries go digital, the continent must invest in:

- Fact-checking infrastructure

- Campaigns for digital literacy

- Motivated government messaging

Foreign policy is being shaped by a handful of smartphones and viral hashtags, street protests are being engineered by the same, and countries are seeing their reputations tarnished. African leaders can no longer consider the information battle as a secondary concern.

 

What Can Be Done: A Call for African Unity

If Africa wants to move towards integration and growth, the xenophobic attitude needs to be confronted. The potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area, AfCFTA, to bring a more integrated market on the continent means nothing if the African populace cannot move freely and safely across Africa.

Governments should:

- Implement xenophobic laws and punish hate speech

- Encourage cross-cultural education to dispel stereotypes

- Advocate for fair immigration laws that protect locals and honors migrants

- Highlight the advantages of Nigeria as an entrepreneurial/investment haven

As an example, Nigerian-owned enterprises employ workers, pay tax, and contribute to the economy in Ghana. Rather than seeing them as a threat, they need to be acknowledged and supported.

 

Conclusion

By 2025, success is Nigeria’s double-edged sword. Though Nigerians have continued to thrive in business and as artists and professionals throughout Africa, their achievements have made them “lightning rods of resentment, fear and sometimes violence”.

But it is not only Ghana. This is not xenophobia only in South Africa. It’s a question of whether Africa will accept its diversity or if old rivalries and envy for economic success will continue ripping the continent apart.

Instead of dividing us, Nigeria’s dominance should inspire us. Hopefully, instead of worrying about a viral video leading to a diplomatic crisis, we can work towards that video marking a new dawn of what Africa can be when Africans lift each other.