The “Ghana Must Go” bag has an intriguing history that is tied to a period of economic instability in West Africa. The name arose in the early 1980s during a fraught exodus of undocumented immigrants from Nigeria.

Here is a summary of how the name came about and the history behind it:

In 1983, Nigeria was facing economic difficulties. The government at the time, led by President Shehu Shagari, decided to expel undocumented workers, the majority of whom were Ghanaians. They were given a short notice to leave the country, purportedly due to concerns over unemployment rates and criminal activities that were being attributed to the foreign nationals.

The timeframe was so short that the immigrants needed to quickly pack their belongings and exit the country. A cheap, durable, checkered bag became the go-to solution for many of these immigrants because they were both affordable and spacious. These bags are usually large and made of woven plastic, which makes them quite resilient. They came in a distinctive pattern, often blue, red, and white checkered, and were capable of holding a great deal of items.

As the Ghanaians hastily packed their possessions into these bags and made their way to the border, the term “Ghana Must Go” became a slogan for the move. It was both a description of the situation and a directive from the Nigerian government.

The sight of thousands of Ghanaians crossing the border with their belongings stuffed in these bags cemented the name. Ever since, the checkered bag has been colloquially known throughout West Africa and in other parts of the world as the “Ghana Must Go” bag.

The incident had significant implications for ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States), a regional political and economic union, as it put a strain on relationships among member states and highlighted issues of economic migration and xenophobia.

In more recent times, the “Ghana Must Go” phrase and the bags have been reappropriated in different contexts, often in the fashion industry and in cultural conversations, transforming a symbol of a painful historical event into one with diverse meanings and uses.

The legacy of the “Ghana Must Go” event serves as a reminder of the impact of political and economic policies on migration and relations among neighboring countries. It also underlines the resilience of displaced people and the adaptability of cultural symbols.