In 1983, Nigeria expelled two million undocumented West African migrants, half of whom were from Ghana following a Presidential executive order. The sturdy, checked bags into which they packed their belongings have become a symbol of exclusion and intolerance.

More than 2 million men, women and children were affected by the decree, with most of them being West African, especially of Ghanaian extraction.

This caused a lot of hardship for the Ghanaian immigrants who became stuck in the Republic of Benin as they tried to make it back home. Eventually, the situation was resolved and they were able to go back home.

The migration was dubbed “Ghana Must Go” which, looking back now, may sound a tad condescending.

The Ghanaians were attracted to Nigeria because of the oil boom of the ’70s. By 1983 when the decree was given however, the Nigerian economy had weakened and was fast depreciating, so the Government looked to send away unwanted foreigners to salvage the economy.

The year was 1983, the day, January 17.





Refugees leaving Nigeria wait at the boarder to enter Benin as part of their journey back to Ghana



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Returning refugees at the Ghana border

Nigeria must go, soon to come in ghana & South Africa.

Unfortuantely 1983 and 2020 are in different decades.

Our ghana bredehs and sistehs are ahead of us in every aspect except their pidgin (which needs total restructuring) but I believe that with autonomy of each state in Nigeria, all that south africa and ghana have achieved in one decade, we can achieve it in one year.

This is not overzealousness, its the truth. Nigeria is that good but you people had to vote buhari in.

So let ghana do their own pursue, this life na turn by turn

Ghana went back and sit up, now they are enjoying the decision we made for them, but for us
with all the crisis we have faced we never one learn.

Nigeria is a case study of a dull brain

Mr Francis my best teacher ever in primary school. There was a time Ghanaian teachers common for 9ja.

Lovely decision

Unnecessary history

Let the past go with the past!

Atiku:
Nigeria must go, soon to come in ghana & South Africa.

That was Ghanaphobia. We now want Fulaphobia.

Chai

Was a blessing, see wer dem dey today.

HallaDaTruth:
Unnecessary history

you say! lol...

They should expel more of them still left behind

If this people had remained, there'd have contributed to the development of the Nation Nigeria..

Ghana Deported us first my grandfather, father and mother were all born in Ghana along with a quarter of my village in osun from Ghana. they did it first. Nigerians had gone there in the early 1900s to hustle during the Gold rush.



"""Ghana and Nigeria are guilty of condoning this shameful policy in the past.
In 1969 during the administration of former Prime Minister, Koffi Busia, Ghana implemented its Alien Compliance Order, which saw the deportation of undocumented West African immigrants, mostly Nigerians.

Two decades later, under the government of Shehu Shagari, Nigeria retaliated by deporting over 1 million African immigrants in 1983, most of who were Ghanaians.

Although the deportations were part of many calculated political moves by Shagari to divert the growing criticism on Nigeria’s failing economy. Blaming Ghanaians for stealing Nigerian jobs was easy although senseless.

Shagari’s policy strained relationships between the neighbors and it took years for mutual respect to be reinstalled."""

Ghana Aliens Compliance Order (GACO)

In 1969, under the "Ghana Aliens Compliance Order" (GACO) enacted by Ghanaian Prime Minister Kofi Abrefa Busia. Nigerians and other African and non-African immigrants were forced to leave Ghana as they made up 20 percent of Ghana's population at the time, and Ghana deported over 3 million Nigerians and other African and non-African immigrants in 3 months.

The relationship became sour when the influx of immigrants began to shift the demographics of the country, which made people unhappy. The most widespread reason for discontent was economic competition and, also, some Ghanaians blamed immigrants for a wave of crime that occurred in the late 1960s. Thus, under former Ghanaian president Kofi Busia’s Aliens Compliance Order of 1969, Nigerians and other immigrants were forced to leave Ghana. The order required of all foreigners in the country to be in possession of residence permit if they did not already have it or to obtain it within a two-week period. Kofi Busia expelled 20,000 to 500,000 Nigerians in a time period of 14 days to 3 months. The order angered some West African governments, especially Nigeria, Togo, Benin, Mali, Niger, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso whose citizens were mostly affected by the expulsion. The 1969 Order also affected Ghana’s image in mainland Africa and the rest of the world.