My friend Daniel pulled me aside while we were walking around Makola market and she asked me ... do you see those bags over there? They are called 'Ghana Must Go' bags.
This surprised me because I have seen bags like these for sale all over Asia and thought they were made in China. Daniel then went on to explain that when the illegal Ghanaians working in Nigeria were forced to leave in 1983 within 14 days, they packed whatever belongings they could carry in these bags.
Hearing this, I decided to research more into these 'Ghana Must Go' bags and sure enough, there are many stories on the internet about what happened in 1983. It was the Nigerian election year and the president in power decided to expel all illegal workers in Nigeria with the hopes of winning the elections. Many of these illegal immigrants had moved to Nigeria in the 1970s during the oil boom and stayed on.
When the announcement was made, it caused massive panic. Not only were they given 2 weeks to leave but also because the government encouraged all Nigerians to turn in these illegal immigrants. This meant neighbors, friends or colleagues could turn them in. As a result of this, it caused the roads leading to various border crossings to be jammed up because they were unable to handle the volume of people. To pack all their possessions up as quickly as possible, these bags were purchased and filled, thus earning the name 'Ghana Must Go' bags.
Back in 1983, there were not too many colors available and most of the "Ghana Must Go' bags then had plaid designs. Now, these bags come in all colors, designs and sizes, and they can be bought in just about any corner stores along the street.
Ghanaians use these bags to carry everything from groceries to clothes.
Small bags cost about 6 to 7 ghc, medium bags between 8 to 9 ghc and large ones about 10ghc
(US$1 = just less than 4 ghc)
Ladies carrying their 'Ghana Must Go' bags on their head at Makola market
Selling the bags at the Kaneshie market tro tro station
