The West African countries of Ghana and Nigeria have an ongoing rivalry between them akin to that of siblings. From football, to politics, to entertainment, citizens of each country always want to demonstrate their superiority over the other, howbeit not in a hateful or bias manner. It is always more bants than facts. There have been several episodes, of ‘social media wars’ or ‘Twitter Fights’ between citizens of both countries that leave us all clutching our stomach with laughter. Through it all though, it is obvious that it is all love and sport.
In this post, we attempt to give reasons why Nigerians, despite the rivalry with their Ghanaian counterparts, should visit the Gold Coast. Just like Nigeria, Ghana is rich in history, mineral resources, culture, tradition and places of interest to see and visit.
Many Nigerians do not even know that Ghana has Hausa and Fulani speaking people like there are in Nigeria.
Cousins
Ghanaians are like cousins to Nigerians. Visiting Ghana for a Nigerian is like visiting cousins for holiday. There are lots both countries share in common, but somehow still do things differently. Case in point, the Jollof. When Nigerians visit Ghana there is an air of familiarity about the place, some lingo and slang are commonly used, but Ghana’s pidgin is still very confusing to Nigerians.
Food
Shito. Banku. Waakye. Jollof. The list is endless really. Ghanaian cuisine can be a joy to experience and even though the eternal battle over whose Jollof is better still rages on, no Nigerian should visit Ghana without tasting the Jollof. Ghanaian food is actually so popular in Nigeria that there are bukas and restaurants in Lagos dedicated to selling just Ghanaian meals. The most popular among them is Ghana High.
Shatta Wale
Shatta Wale is Ghana’s biggest music sensation at the moment. And only recently he has had a war of words with Nigerian pop artistes on social media. As long as you are not one to take these things too seriously, visiting Ghana to see a Shatta Wale-show should be on your list of things to do, at least that way you can see what the hype is about yourself and tell if he is as great as he says he really is.
Beaches
Ghana is blessed with such an impressive stretch of beaches. If you are tired of the Elegushi and Oniru beaches of Lagos, switch it up by exploring the coastline of Labadi and Kobrobite. If you are enthusistic about wildlife, visit the Cocoloco beach where you would find turtles and a large number of river birds. Beach Resorts in Ghana are beautiful and spending a night or more in one of them would greatly enrich your Ghana experience.
Chale Wote
Nigeria has Calabar Carnival. Ghana has Chale Wote. This annual street cum art festival does get bigger and better every year with amazing exhibitions, musical performances, art installations, food, merchandise vendors as well as live music and dance that goes on well into the night. For anyone who enjoys having a good time and finds him/herself in Ghana in the month of August, Chale Wote is a must-attend.
Nigerian Community
There is a perpetually growing Nigerian community in Ghana and visiting Ghana would definitely feel like home. It wont be long before you notice the familiar accent of a Nigerian, no matter where he is from back home and quickly tag them as your brother or your sister. Especially in Ghanaian Universities where many Nigerians turn to as an alternative to schooling in Europe or right here at home.
GUEST BLOG by: Caleb Olorunmaiye, [email protected]
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