Ghana Petitions ECOWAS Over Alleged Harassment of Ghanaian Businesses in Nigeria

Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has formally petitioned the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to investigate and intervene in what he describes as the alleged harassment and unfair treatment of Ghanaian businesses operating in Nigeria.

The petition was presented during the 95th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, held in Abuja from Wednesday, December 10, to Friday, December 12.

Addressing the Council, Mr. Okudzeto Ablakwa expressed concern over actions by Nigerian authorities that he said amount to interference with the operations of Ghanaian-owned companies. He cited the case of Jonah Capital PLC, a real estate firm owned by renowned Ghanaian businessman Sir Sam Jonah, as a key example of the alleged victimisation.

The Foreign Affairs Minister submitted the petition on behalf of the company, urging ECOWAS to step in to prevent the matter from escalating into a cross-border trade dispute between Ghana and Nigeria.

In response, the ECOWAS Council of Ministers acknowledged the concerns raised by Ghana and requested further information to allow for a comprehensive assessment of the situation.

The petition follows a protracted ownership dispute spanning nearly a year over the multi-billion-naira River Park Estate in Abuja, which has since evolved into a major corporate crisis. The matter has increased pressure on Nigeria’s Minister of Trade amid allegations that Ghanaian-owned businesses in Nigeria are being subjected to extraordinary forms of corporate expropriation. Analysts warn that the dispute could strain trade relations between the two countries, long regarded as close regional partners and economic allies.

Central to the controversy is Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the Registrar-General of Nigeria’s Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). According to allegations now before Nigeria’s National Assembly and diplomatic circles, Mr. Magaji, acting through the CAC, allegedly approved the expropriation and reassignment of shares belonging to JonahCapital Nigeria Limited and Houses for Africa Nigeria Limited—both owned by Ghanaian businessman Dr. Samuel Jonah.

The alleged actions are said to have occurred despite a direct instruction from Nigeria’s Attorney General of the Federation and while court proceedings were already underway. Formal service of court documents was reportedly effected on the CAC on November 28, 2025, raising concerns about due process, judicial compliance, and regulatory overreach.

Further allegations suggest that the CAC unlawfully altered company shareholding records, removed duly appointed directors, expunged public records, and reinstated former directors, actions critics describe as a serious abuse of authority.

The dispute has drawn regional attention, particularly as Nigeria’s Minister of Trade has yet to issue a public response despite being formally petitioned. This silence has heightened anxiety among investors and the wider foreign business community.

With ECOWAS now seized of the matter and scrutiny intensifying on the leadership of the Corporate Affairs Commission, observers caution that Nigeria’s response could determine whether the issue is resolved through institutional mechanisms or escalates into a broader economic and diplomatic confrontation between two of West Africa’s closest allies.