John Dramani Mahama, president of Ghana, says he prays daily for Nigeria to improve, noting that the country is important to Ghana’s stability and prosperity.
Mahama spoke during the African Heritage Awards 2026, where he delivered a speech emphasising unity and innovation as drivers of Africa’s development.
“Every day I wake up, I pray for Nigeria and say, ‘God, let Nigeria get its act together,’” he said.
The former Ghanaian leader noted that Nigeria holds significant security and economic importance for Ghana, adding that both countries’ fortunes are closely linked.
“Nigeria is of keen security interest to us. If Nigeria does well, Ghana does well,” he said.
Mahama also warned that economic challenges in Nigeria could trigger migration pressures on smaller neighbouring countries like Ghana.
“When you have cousins, 250 million of them, you want them to do well — so that one million of them don’t come drifting towards a small country like Ghana,” he added.
He further recounted a past diplomatic engagement involving Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari over the nomination of Akinwumi Adesina for an international role.
According to Mahama, concerns arose following a change in government in Nigeria, as Adesina had served under the previous administration.
He said he invited Buhari to a meeting at Peduase Lodge in Ghana, where he sought assurances that Nigeria would maintain its support for Adesina’s candidacy.
Mahama said Buhari eventually reaffirmed support for Adesina, a move he described as crucial to the eventual outcome.
The former president reiterated his hope that Nigeria achieves greater prosperity, noting that a stable and thriving Nigeria would benefit the entire West African sub-region.