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Claim: An X user posts that 500,000 Ghanaians live in Nigeria, making Nigeria the country with the largest population of Ghanaians living outside Ghana.
Verdict: False. Data from the United Nations’ Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ migrant stock 2024 indicates that 256,000 Ghanaians live in Nigeria.
Full Text
It is estimated that international migration surged by 45% over the past two decades. Several people travel for recreational, economic, settlement, and other reasons. Ghanaians are no exception. While media narratives suggest that most Africans emigrate to the global north, 70% of West Africans migrate within the region. Ghana hosts over 400,000 immigrants from neighbouring countries. On the other hand, several Ghanaians live in neighbouring countries.
On the issue of immigration, an X user, African Facts Zone, claims over 500,000 Ghanaians live in Nigeria.
“Nigeria has the highest population of Ghanaians living outside Ghana. 500,000 Ghanaians live in Nigeria. Thousands of Nigerian citizens are of Ghanaian descent,” the page shared.
The post has over 390,000 views and 8,500 likes.
DUBAWA decided to probe further into the claim in response to a recent request and to bring clarity to the matter.
Verification
The Ghanaian-Nigerian migration is not new. Over the years, Ghanaian citizens have migrated to Nigeria and vice versa. In 1983, a migration rift led to the “Ghana Must Go” executive order, which led to the mass deportation of Ghanaians.
The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), in its International Migration Stock 2024, estimates that the international migrant stock in Nigeria has increased from 488,000 in 2000 to over 1,400,000, a triple. Ghanaians make up 256,000 out of the total. Their historical data has placed Ghana among the top five migrant groups in Nigeria.
A table showing the share of immigrants in Nigeria. Image Source: migrationpolicy.org
According to the International Migrant Stock 2024 dataset, the number of Ghanaians living in Nigeria has steadily increased over the past two decades. The data indicates an increase from 222,377 in 2015 to 238,284 in 2020, and then to 255,531 in 2024.
The data indicate that the Ghanaian population in Nigeria doubled between 2000 and 2005 and continued to grow to a little over a quarter of a million in 2024.
| Year | Ghanaian Migrant Stock in Nigeria |
| 1990 | 75,322 |
| 1995 | 81,276 |
| 2000 | 90,479 |
| 2005 | 179,834 |
| 2010 | 183,688 |
| 2015 | 222,377 |
| 2020 | 238,284 |
| 2024 | 255,531 |
Table showing a steady increase in the Ghanaian Migrant stock in Nigeria. Image Source: DUBAWA (visualised with Gemini)
Although there is scant data on migration in West Africa, reports from the International Organization for Migration in Ghana corroborate UN DESA’s data.
Conclusion
The claim that 500,000 Ghanaians live in Nigeria is false. Data from UN DESA’s International Migration Stock, 2024, indicate that 256,000 Ghanaians live in Nigeria. Ghana comes second to Benin, which has over 404,000 migrants living in Nigeria.
