Nigerians in Accra: Their stories and successes

The clusters of storey buildings are bustling with commercial activities; even the alleyway is crowded with people and merchandise. Bales of textiles, electronics, musical instruments and household appliances are on display.  This is Rawlings Park. A walk further north takes you to a narrower street. On both sides are dilapidated buildings and make-shift structures. Some […]

The clusters of storey buildings are bustling with commercial activities; even the alleyway is crowded with people and merchandise. Bales of textiles, electronics, musical instruments and household appliances are on display.

 This is Rawlings Park. A walk further north takes you to a narrower street. On both sides are dilapidated buildings and make-shift structures. Some are gradually falling apart from age and disrepair. The entire landscape reminds you of a street in old Ibadan. But this is Okaishe around the Makola International Market in Central Accra.  Indeed, the market itself and the environs have strong ties to Nigeria.

The name of the market was coined from the Yoruba word, Omokolawole. History has it that the early Yoruba settlers domiciled and transacted their businesses in the area. The original landlords, Ga people, bequeathed the land to them.

Whenever they brought in their merchandise from Nigeria notably, kola, cattle, eggs, onions and others, they were discharged at Tabora. The street where the cattle were sold to Ghanaian traders was known as Cow Lane.

Today, the area is neither rustic nor do people sell cattle any longer. Rather, it has been renamed Opera Square, the unofficial headquarters of Ghallywood, Ghana’s movie industry. All English-speaking Ghanaian movies and Nollywood movies are distributed and marketed at Opera Square.

Before the physical transformation, the entire area was covered with water and considered uninhabitable by the land owners. 

“When our forefathers arrived, the place was waterlogged. The Ga people didn’t like the area. So they gave us the place. But because of our experience in Nigeria, we knew that when development comes the water will go, as is the case with Lagos,” Alhaji Baba Musa recounted in an interview with our reporter. 

The history of Accra is replete with accounts of the antecedents of the Yoruba tribe, which is widely believed to be the first ethnic group to migrate from Nigeria to Ghana. They relocated to Accra over 200 years ago, according to chronicler, Bola Olalere. In his book, 200 Years of Yoruba in Ghana, published in August, 2013, Olalere told the story of the early Yoruba settlers.

Alhaji Baba Musa, the president of the Yoruba Community in Ghana, went down memory lane as he gave account of the odyssey of the Yoruba race in Ghana. According to him, the early Yoruba settlers travelled to Ghana aboard a ship named “Alata.” The natives had addressed them by the name of the ship. The name still sticks to every Nigerian till date because it is usual to hear an average Ghanaian address a Nigerian by that name.

He recollected how the early Yoruba migrants settled at James Town, a coastal town on the outskirts of Accra. Their descendants still populate the area till date. 

“We have an annual celebration we mark with them. When you go to the James Town Mantse you will see James Town Mantse-Alata. It is written there. Their first chief was called Ojo. They have their own cemetery there. It is undisputed, even the Ga people acknowledge this fact,” Baba Musa affirmed.

Some of the early comers resided at Adabraka. The nomenclature was actually derived from Albarka. 

From the account of Baba Musa, the late Kwame Nkrumah had asked the people to go and view the land if it was suitable for them. On sighting the landscape they had exclaimed Albarka, meaning, “This land will be blessed.” The Ghanaians couldn’t say Albarka. So they named it Adabraka.

The same Nkrumah allocated the area which is today known as New Town. It was originally called Lagos Town. Even with the change of name, till date, the area is dominated by Yoruba people, their food, culture and language.

The Hausa and Fulani people migrated about the same time with their Yoruba counterparts. Their migration to Ghana is officially profiled and documented.  The Yoruba, Hausa and Fulani people were profiled as Mohammedans in the national archives because they were predominately Muslims. The governor-general in the then colonial government documented the installation of the first Yoruba traditional ruler in Ghana, Chief Brimah, who was described as the head of the Mohammedans in the official Gazette. He passed away over 100 years ago. In August 2013, the Yoruba people in Ghana commemorated 100 years of his death. There have been six successive monarchs after him. 

The Fulani and Hausa people came to Ghana about two centuries ago for the purpose of trade and agriculture.  They traded in goods such as kola, cattle, leather works and textiles. Their influence is quite dominant in the Zongo communities, where they have impacted the people with their culture, religion and language. They are mostly petty traders.  

According to Alhaji Umaru Atiko, a member of the Arewa Community, Hausa and Fulani people were more visible in Kumasi and northern parts of Ghana. 

Ghana’s location as the nearest English-speaking country to Nigeria has encouraged the migration of a new generation of emigrants. These crops of Nigerians are very dynamic and resourceful. They belong to diverse professions and have interests in different sectors of the economy. 

There is also a huge student population in the capital who are taking advantage of the predictability in the academic calendar to obtain education in the country.

Eze Chukwudi Jude Ihenetu, the Eze Ndi Igbo in Ghana, is also the chief executive of CHIBET Company, which is into importation, entertainment and construction. His humble beginning in Accra underpins the resilience of many Nigerians resident in the country. According to him, he came to Ghana over 20 years ago. He started as a street hawker in Lagos when a friend told him about the prospect of bringing goods to Ghana. He borrowed money and started bringing calculators into the country. Having lost his initial investment after his goods were seized by Republic of Benin officials, he started all over again and gradually relocated to Ghana.

He described his early years in the country as difficult, saying, “It wasn’t easy. It was very tough. You supplied goods and you had to wait to get paid. When you went for your money they would tell you they had not sold them. And you would not see the goods in their shops. Sometimes they would waste your money and time.”  

Eze Ihenetu represents the class of Nigerians who went into the country essentially in search of the Golden Fleece. 

Michael Opeyemi Ige attended the University of Education at Winneba in the Central Region of the country. He became the president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS). After the completion of his studies, he founded a Civil Society Organisation, Concerned African Youth Forum (CAYF) in Africa. He now resides permanently in Accra.

About a million of Ige’s colleagues are still schooling or may have passed through tertiary institutions in the country.

Jasmine Uche is a student of Business at the Knustford University, East Legon in Accra. She explained that she opted to study in Ghana to escape the frequent disruptions in the academic calendar in Nigeria. She, however, said she hoped to go back to Nigeria after her studies.

“No, I don’t have plans to remain in Ghana after my studies. I certainly want to work in Nigeria. I came here because I didn’t want the duration of my university unnecessarily prolonged due to incessant strikes,” she said. 

There is no gainsaying the fact that the contributions of Nigerians to Ghanaian economy are monumental. Both in the formal and informal sectors, their impacts are enormous.

In the banking sector alone, Nigeria has the most visible foreign presence, with not less than seven banks owned by her nationals, notably, Access Bank, Zenith, Guaranty Trust Bank, UBA, First Atlantic, First Bank Plc and Energy Bank. Considerable investments in the insurance sector with the presence of NEM Insurance (Ghana) Limited, International Energy Insurance (I.E.I) Ghana Limited, Regency Alliance Insurance Company, Capital Assurance Ghana Limited and Equity Assurance Ghana Limited.

 Nigerians are also key players in Ghana’s bourgeoning oil and gas sector. For instance, First Deep Water Discovery Ghana Limited is owned by Babalola Babatunde while Maxigate Petroleum Ghana Limited is owned by Dennis Carter and subsidiaries like Oando Ghana. Chief Prince Christopher Obareki has vast business interests in Ghana. His CHRISBAKI Group of Companies has holdings, including Bar Purity, Baki Farms, Spec Autos Ltd, Bamar Properties. He is a big philanthropist and has affected a lot of Ghanaians. Kennedy Okosun is the owner of the biggest stationeries company in Ghana. KRIF Stationeries has outlets in Accra and parts of the country. City lights Limited, Ghana’s biggest electrical wholesale and retail outlet in Ghana is owned by Prince Emmanuel Okeson. He also has investments in real estate business and education. His university is billed to commence this year. He employs over 700 Ghanaians in his companies. 

In the legal profession, Nigerians are holding forte. Femi Atoyebi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), owns a thriving legal firm in Accra. Ben Hastrup owns and runs Alliance Legal, a flourishing legal consortium, with its headquarters in Accra.

Nigerians have exhibited exemplary talents in the entertainment industry. Chief Crystal Djirackor owns the Crystal Television, the first private television station in Ghana.  CHARTERHOUSE, the leading events company is owned by a Nigerian, Iyiola Ayaode. It organizes the Ghana Music Awards, Miss Malaika Beauty Pageant, Stars of the Future, National Youth Achievers Award. He also owns a television station, GhOne. Arguably, the most talented movie producer in the country, Frank Arese Rajah, has produced several English blockbusters. He discovered some of the most celebrated Ghanaian movie stars, Majid Michel, Van Vicker, Jackie Appiah, Nadia Buari, Yvonne Nelson and others.

The chief executive officer of Omatek Computers Ghana Limited is Engineer Florence Seriki. The company provides services in computer and accessories and assembled computers.

Nigerians dominate the informal sectors as well. The success of Nigerian traders has often  put  them on collision path with their Ghanaian counterparts, who have consistently called for their expulsion from their markets.

Yoruba and the Igbo dominate the importation business in the country. They own warehouses in Accra and other parts of the country. Their merchandise include telephone accessories, electronics, laptops and accessories, garments, vehicle spare parts, motorcycle parts, bicycle parts, secondhand clothes and many more.

In both wholesale and retail businesses, Nigerians are involved. Around the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Nigerians own retail businesses. Yoruba women engage in retail of household goods and other businesses while the Igbo sell telephone accessories, laptops and accessories. At Madina, Lapaz, Keneshie and Makola markets, you meet a lot of Nigerians who engage in commerce. 

Nigerians own both private and commercial properties in Accra. They are spread all over the city. There is no area you go to within the capital where you do not find properties owned by them. 

The older generations, whose forefathers migrated to the country before the country’s independence and were born in Ghana before March 25, 1957, were granted citizenship by the late President Kwame Nkrumah.

Presently, some of them occupy top positions in the Ghanaian Armed Forces and civil service. They might not flaunt their Nigerian ancestry publicly, but in secret they will tell you that they are Nigerians. 

Intermarriages amongst Ghanaians and Nigerians have helped bridge the gap and diminish whatever ill feelings that could have existed in the past. A new crop of children of mixed birth have emerged.

The assimilation of most Nigerians into the Ghanaian socio-cultural terrain has fostered a sense of belonging amongst them. Nevertheless, it has not diminished their Nigerian identity.

The parents of Baba Musa, the president of the Yoruba Community, were born in the country. He is a Ghanaian by virtue of being born in the country before its independence. According to him, he owns more investments here than his native land. Nonetheless, he holds on to his Nigerian identity with awe. 

“How can you throw your country away?  I am enjoying Ghana, but Nigeria is still my country. Last year alone, I went to Nigeria eight times. I was honoured with a chieftaincy title in my home town, Saki in Oyo State,” he told our reporter.