Sir Sam Jonah says Nigerian state agencies subjected his real estate investment to sustained harassment
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Ghanaian business leader Sir Sam Jonah disclosed that a significant real estate investment in Nigeria has faced sustained harassment by state agencies, warning that such treatment could undermine intra-African investment and trade.
Ghanaian business leader Sir Sam Jonah has disclosed that a significant real estate investment he made in Nigeria has been subjected to what he describes as sustained harassment by state agencies. He made the disclosure while delivering the keynote address at the Global Business Forum Ghana Edition on Friday, 28 August 2026.
Sir Sam Jonah said Ghanaian workers at the project site had also experienced treatment similar to scenes of xenophobic attacks condemned elsewhere on the continent. He shared his experience to highlight broader challenges confronting African investors operating in other African countries.
The businessman, who began his career underground at Obuasi before leading Ashanti Goldfields to become the first operating African company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, warned that the treatment of African investors within Africa could undermine efforts to deepen intra-African investment and trade.
He urged governments across the continent to give African investors and workers the same level of protection and attention afforded to foreign investors. His comments come amid renewed calls for African businesses to expand across national borders under the African Continental Free Trade Area.