The Nigerian government is seeking the intervention of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) following the closure of retail shops belonging to its citizens in Ghana.

This was disclosed by Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, after a meeting with the leadership of Nigerian traders in Ghana.

He said he wants ECOWAS to investigate the issue and to secure the shops of belonging to its citizens.

While Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry insists it is against the country’s laws for foreigners to be involved in the retail business, Mr. Onyeama believes closing their shops is also against ECOWAS protocols.

“We want this matter to be addressed at the shortest time possible,” Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Minister said.

“What is the point of having an economic community, if, at the end of the day, each country will just make a law and regulations that are in contradiction of that.”

“As we have this matter addressed, we know that there are upcoming elections but we will certainly hope that Nigerians will not be pawns in the electoral game,” he added.

Meanwhile, the PRO of Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Prince Boateng, said the closure of foreign retail shops “is not a fight against Nigerians”.

“It is just that the majority of the non-Ghanaians doing illegal retailing are Nigerians, that is why it appears to our fellow Nigerians that Ghana is against them but that is not the case.

“But we will not stop the enforcement of our laws just because Nigerians are the majority of those affected by the crackdown,” Mr. Boateng noted.