Ghana's Government Rejects MTN's GHS20 Million Donation for Xenophobia Attack Victims

• MTN Ghana offered GHS20 million for Ghanaian victims of xenophobic attacks in South Africa, attributed to Board Chairman Dr. Ishmael Yamson
• Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa met with MTN representatives on 14 August 2026 to communicate the government's position
• The Mahama Administration said it has made its own provision for evacuations and reintegration, and promised transparency on total costs

ACCRA — Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has formally turned down a GHS20 million donation offered by MTN to support Ghanaian nationals affected by xenophobic violence in South Africa.

The offer, attributed to MTN Board Chairman Dr. Ishmael Yamson, was communicated to the government ahead of a meeting on 14 August 2026, when MTN representatives sat down with Foreign Affairs Minister Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The ministry issued its official press statement from Accra on 26 August 2026, declining the offer on behalf of the Mahama Administration.

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Ghana's reasons for turning down the offer

According to the ministry, the government has already made adequate provision to cover the costs of evacuating and reintegrating returning Ghanaian nationals, making the donation unnecessary. The statement added that the government intends to be fully transparent with the public regarding the total expenditure incurred through the evacuation process.

Ghana was the first country to begin repatriating its citizens from South Africa following a wave of anti-illegal immigration protests that swept across the country and triggered a broader regional response. Several African nations followed suit in the weeks after.

Read the statement on X:

Public reaction divided

The government's decision drew mixed responses from Ghanaians online.

@Mansion360 wrote:

"For the first time, I'm witnessing my country, Ghana, rejecting funds, grants, and other financial support from foreign countries... wow 🤝"

@Adutwum4Prez_28 questioned the reasoning:

"You could have accepted the money and used it for its intended purpose, and what the gov is going to spend could be used for other pressing societal needs like building more schools, supporting fire service, etc."

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@__sameGod agreed, writing:

"I think the government shouldn't have declined it since they opted to help."

@onandofftake suggested commercial motives lay behind the gesture:

"The only reason they are making this offer is that they know how lucrative the Ghanaian market is and what losing it would mean."

@mzuzups questioned the formality of the rejection itself:

"Chronic overreaction, how does the whole ministry officially decline something that has not been formally confirmed?"

Musina Repatriation Centre decommissioned

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the recent closure of the Musina Temporary Repatriation Processing Centre in Limpopo, which processed nearly 49,000 foreign nationals since its establishment. Government authorities emphasized that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of designated law enforcement bodies, warning citizens against taking matters into their own hands.

Source: Briefly News