JOURNAL ARTICLE

Ghana Must Go: Nativism and the Politics of Expulsion in West Africa, 1969–1985.

  • Published In: Past & Present, 2023, v. 259, n. 1. P. 229 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Daly, Samuel Fury Childs 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the mass expulsions of Ghanaian nationals from Nigeria, particularly the 1983 deportation known as "Ghana Must Go," situating these events within the broader historical and legal context of postcolonial West Africa. It explains how colonial-era British policies tied political membership and citizenship to indigeneity through customary law, which postcolonial states inherited and used to justify restrictive nationality and migration policies. The expulsions reflected economic resentment, political tensions between Nigeria and Ghana, and a nativist logic that excluded migrants despite pan-African ideals. The article also discusses the lasting impact of these expulsions on regional relations, Nigerian national identity, and the persistence of indigeneity as a tool of exclusion within Nigeria.

Additional Information

  • Source:Past & Present. 2023/05, Vol. 259, Issue 1, p229
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Communication and Mass Media
  • Publication Date:2023
  • ISSN:0031-2746
  • DOI:10.1093/pastj/gtac006
  • Accession Number:163565022
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