Why the checkered bags are called "Ghana Must Go"

The term Ghana Must Go is associated with a type of large, checkered, and often colorful bags that were popular in Nigeria.

For a long time, they’ve been called this name, though Ghanaians have another name for it, the most popular one is “Ghana Must Go” and there’s a history behind this name.

These bags gained the nickname Ghana Must Go due to their association with events that occurred in the 1980s.

In the early 1980s, both countries experienced economic challenges, and there were concerns about illegal immigrants and the strain they were perceived to be placing on social services.

The Nigerian government at the time decided to implement a policy that required foreign nationals to leave the country, and this led to a mass exodus of Ghanaians.

In 1983, the Nigerian government, under the leadership of President Shehu Shagari, implemented a policy known as the Aliens Expulsion Order, which required foreign nationals, including a significant number of Ghanaians, to leave the country.

This expulsion was partly seen as a response to the actions of the Ghanaian government, which had previously expelled a large number of Nigerian immigrants in 1983.

The reciprocal actions led to a significant number of Ghanaians leaving Nigeria, carrying their belongings in the large, checkered bags that later became associated with the nickname Ghana Must Go.

The term Ghana Must Go became a colloquial name for these bags in Nigeria, reflecting the association with the Ghanaians leaving the country.

The events were connected to reciprocal deportations between the two countries during a period of economic challenges and political tension in the early 1980s.

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