The Ghanaian government has formally petitioned the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regarding the alleged harassment and intimidation of Ghanaian businesses operating in Nigeria. This development stems from an ongoing dispute involving Jonah Capital PLC, a prominent real estate company owned by esteemed Ghanaian businessman Sir Samuel Jonah, which is facing unwarranted expropriation and share reassignment in Nigeria.
The Ghanaian authorities assert that Nigerian government agencies are selectively targeting and unfairly treating Ghanaian enterprises, thereby breaching the ECOWAS Treaty’s provisions on free movement and trade. The controversy revolves around the high-profile River Park Estate in Abuja, where allegations of corporate sabotage and judicial overreach have been leveled.
The ECOWAS Commission has formally acknowledged Ghana’s concerns and requested supplementary information to facilitate further consideration of the matter. The situation remains volatile, with far-reaching implications for bilateral trade relations between Nigeria and Ghana, two nations traditionally regarded as regional partners and economic allies.
The petition follows a protracted ownership dispute surrounding the multi-billion-naira River Park Estate in Abuja, a case that has escalated into a major corporate imbroglio. The controversy has intensified scrutiny on Nigeria’s Minister of Trade, with allegations that Ghanaian-owned companies operating in Nigeria are being subjected to extraordinary corporate expropriation. Observers caution that the matter may precipitate a Nigeria-Ghana trade dispute, threatening the longstanding relations between the two nations.
