Controversial Nigerian activist and social media critic, Verydarkman, has taken his outspoken advocacy beyond the borders of Nigeria as he traveled to Ghana to engage with Nigerian traders whose shops have been repeatedly shut down by local authorities and rival Ghanaian traders. His visit comes amid ongoing tensions between Nigerian business owners and Ghanaian regulatory bodies, a conflict that has persisted for years and occasionally flares into diplomatic disputes between the two West African nations.
Upon arrival in Accra, Verydarkman met with dozens of Nigerian traders operating in key commercial hubs such as Circle, Kantamanto, and Kumasi Central Market. Many of them voiced their frustrations, alleging harassment, discrimination, and unfair enforcement of Ghana’s trade laws. According to reports, Ghanaian authorities have justified the closures on the grounds that foreign nationals are required to pay steep registration fees and must meet specific investment thresholds before being allowed to operate retail businesses.
However, Nigerian traders argue that these laws are selectively applied against them, while other foreign nationals face less scrutiny. Several traders told Verydarkman that they have lost millions of naira in goods due to sudden shop closures, sometimes carried out in the presence of armed security officers. “We are being treated like criminals for trying to earn a living,” one trader lamented.
In a series of recorded interviews, which he promised to share online, Verydarkman pressed the traders to explain the root causes of the tension and why Ghanaians are targeting Nigerian businesses. Many pointed to rivalry in the retail market, fear of competition, and rising economic hardship in Ghana as underlying factors. “It is not that we don’t follow the law,” another trader explained. “But the fees they are asking us to pay are outrageous. How can a small trader raise $1 million just to keep a shop open?”
Verydarkman’s intervention has sparked conversations on social media, with many Nigerians praising his decision to shed light on the plight of their countrymen in Ghana. Some, however, caution that the issue is sensitive and should be handled diplomatically between both governments rather than through confrontational activism.
This development comes as the Nigerian Union of Traders Association in Ghana (NUTAG) continues to lobby for intervention from both Abuja and Accra. The matter has, in the past, strained bilateral relations, with Nigeria once threatening retaliatory measures when hundreds of shops owned by Nigerians were sealed in 2020.
For now, Verydarkman’s trip is seen as an attempt to amplify the voices of struggling Nigerian traders and to demand answers about why they face persistent hostility in a fellow West African country. Whether his activism will push both governments to find a lasting resolution remains to be seen.
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