REPUBLIC of Ghana, whose President is Professor John Attah Mills, is a neighbouring country to Nigeria. It is one of the strongest members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) after Nigeria (the giant of Africa), with over 22 million population.

Ghana, in recent times, has attracted the attention of international communities across the world as a result of the discovery of crude oil, her political stability, thriving democracy which has also made her president the toast speaker at international conferences across the world.

Another side attraction as far as Ghana is concerned, is the adequate security of life and property-which to a large extent has inadvertently facilitated the influx of foreign investors to Ghana, which is responsible for the promotion of the country's consistent economic growth; resulting in the reduction of rate of unemployment in Ghana, against what is being experienced in her big brother country-Nigeria.

As if that is not enough, Ghana's reputation in the world today-as one of the most peaceful countries in Africa has not only heightened the positive image of the country formerly known as Gold Coast, but has also encouraged the massive influx of foreigners across the globe, majority of which are Nigerians.

Republic of Ghana’s population statistics as of 2008 revealed that over one million Nigerians lives in Ghana while over 300 foreigners, mostly Nigerians, are serving different times in prisons for various offences such as kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, child trafficking, etc.

With the policy of ECOWAS, which encourages state members’ citizens to travel to a member state to trade or reside without a visa, is apparently one of the reasons why different categories of Nigerian businessmen and women, artistes, actors, actresses, management consultants and students have relocated to Ghana for more clients and to savour the guarantee of lives and their properties, since kidnapping of Nigerian high profile personalities is now the order of the day.

As simple as getting a resident permit in Ghana could be, after spending three months in the country, you would still be amazed at the rate of Nigerians who default. But the case is not as easy when it comes to securing accommodation, not to talk of the exorbitant rent demanded as soon as the landlord or agent deciphers you are a Nigerian.

Often times, the exorbitant charges are not even the most scaring thing but the demand for three to four years rent payment-which is often asked to be paid in dollars in some regions like Accra, Kumasi, Koforidua and other high commercial valued cities in Ghana.

Not escaping the traps of fake agents is another mistake a foreigner could not afford to make. The questions foreigners like me often ask on issues like this are; why is accommodation so expensive in these regions? Why is it more difficult for Nigerians to get accommodation? How can a foreigner get genuine real estate agents, amidst many dubious agents that flood the city of Accra?

Though the answers to these questions are in the air, the lesson therein was learnt from mistakes victims have made over the years, which many people aspiring to travel to Ghana may learn from.

The fact that Accra is the state capital of the Republic of Ghana where many events, business opportunities, top class personalities, tourists centers and great edifices are rooted, make it one of the reasons why there are more demands for accommodation, where few are available; which according to the law of economics results in the higher the cost.

To decipher a genuine real estate agent requires that the person who claims to be an agent in question has a registered company, and also belongs to the body of his profession - which will go a long way in proving his level of integrity. Secondly, never pay any agent in advance without seeing the accommodation and obtaining a receipt for it .


Musiliu Obanikoro, Nigerian Ambassador to Ghana

Another challenge peculiar to Nigerians in Ghana searching for accommodation is the low trust of Nigerians by landlords and real estate agents. According to a Nigerian, Mrs Funmi Opare, who is married to a Ghanaian pastor, ''many Ghanaian landlords and agents have had bitter experiences in leasing their properties to Nigerians in the past, and therefore regretted it; either through the mis-use of the properties, owing and leaving their country or state thereafter or not complying with the rules and regulations, which have made securing an accommodation a serious task for an average Nigerian.''

In the effort of this writer to confirm the groanings of some Nigerian students and workers living in Ghana, Mr Adeyemi Adeleke, an international officer for Global Education Counselling in Accra, Ghana said, ''we Nigerians here have been reaping from fruits of the bad deeds of other Nigerians to landlords and agents in the past, which have not only made it more difficult for us to get an accommodation , but also made it more expensive''

Asking if it is possible for one to disguise as non- Nigerian, he said, '' the minute you start speaking, they would decipher it in your accent and some would say it to your face right there that the landlord doesn’t want a Nigerian.''

Mr Adeyemi, while stating his personal experience revealed how he secured a three bedroom flat. '' It wasn't a small task when I was seeking an accommodation and after getting one, I had to sign an agreement that I wouldn't be taking any other person in to stay with me, except my family.''

Speaking with another student, West, he said '' before I was given the one-room self contained, I was made to sign an agreement that I would not allow any person to live with me. In the agreement, my girlfriend is permitted to stay with me for a week while friends are permitted to stay for a couple of days. It can be frustrating though, having a room and not being able to take in a friend who doesn't have any'' he added.

[b]In a chat with one of the landlords, who is based in Canada, Mr Opare Atipaga, but has a mansion in Koforidua, he said he chose to make his house strictly available for Nigerian students because his house is near a popular university in that region, All Nations University. '' When I was looking for people to rent out my apartments to, what everybody told me was ''don't take in Nigerians'' and I asked them why? And they told me, ''those students are not disciplined, they wouldn't follow the rules'' and this reminds me of the year I left Ghana for Germany to school at the age of 24 and I am in my 50s now. When blacks were looking for accommodation, no whites took us in simply because they judged us by our colour and rumours they had heard about us.

“But I can remember that the room I later got was full of blacks and amongst them were Nigerians and these Nigerians were good people. And since then I have promised myself that when I build a house, I will not judge people by their colour. The issue is this, if one black man messes up, he's the one that is meant to be thrown out - not all the blacks, not the innocent ones; and that is the order I gave my agent.''[/b]

In spite of all the challenges and apparent resistance, the influx of Nigerians into Ghana on a yearly basis still raises concern.


http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/features/30233-accommodation-for-nigerians-in-ghana-as-costly-as-gold

Thanks for sharing this. Ghana sounds like a wonderful place. Nigerians are demonized everywhere. Yet these scams usually requires the victim to be dishonest in the first places. Oh well. We have to do better I suppose.

My two brothers has been rob in Ghana in 2008 because they knew he was from Nigeria, but when Nigerian ia paying them back in their own coins they will start calling us names.

Goood!!!
If Naija nor gree una live, please check out!
You have my permission.
What does it profit a man to gain the whole of Nigeria and loseth his soul?