Talks over Ghana's Nigerian traders deadlocked

The five-month stand-off between Nigerian traders and the authorities in Ghana remains unresolved and the shops remain shuttered. The controversy revolves around a $1m levy imposed on Nigerian traders and other foreign investors to pay Ghana Investment Promotion Centre, before the shops would be opened. The conditions set by the Ghanaian authorities had triggered a debate in Nigeria and within the African sub-region, which many considered as a breach of Ecowas trade protocols. Abuja set up a ministerial committee to find a lasting solution to the plight of the traders, but has failed to secure a breakthrough. Chukwuemeka Nnaji, president of the Nigerian Traders Union in Ghana, told the Daily Trust that Ghanaian authorities have closed 40 more shops after their bilateral talks.