Nana King, a Ghanaian taxi driver based in New York, shared his struggles in an interview on SVTV Africa’s Daily Hustle Worldwide show. He revealed that life as a taxi driver was much better years ago, but things have drastically changed, especially after the Trump administration.
“Before Trump came, I was making good money at the airport. But now, business is slow. New regulations have made it even harder. For instance, with the new Real ID system, if you don’t have proper documents, you can’t fly. Even asylum seekers who go to court risk being arrested. During Biden’s time, many hotels were converted into shelters for migrants, but now that’s been canceled. Deportations are ongoing—over 3,000 people have been deported, leaving only about 100 still here.”
Nana King explained that he currently rents a taxi to work, but he plans to finish paying off his own car by next Octoberand then leave it for the company. His goal is to eventually return home and live in peace.
Discipline & Safety Abroad vs Ghana
As a commercial driver in the U.S., he undergoes annual drug tests to ensure he is fit to drive and not abusing substances.
“Here in America, safety comes first. I drive six hours from New York to Washington, and I’ve never been afraid because preventive measures are in place. But in Ghana, it’s a 50/50 chance of survival when traveling by road. We don’t take preventive maintenance seriously. That’s why accidents are common.”
He strongly believes Ghana needs strict discipline like Burkina Faso—or even foreign governance:
“If I had power, I’d let America rule Ghana for some years. Whites value human life, but in Ghana, negligence is killing us. My own firstborn died in Ghana because government hospital staff were on strike and refused to attend to patients. By the time we rushed him to a private hospital, it was too late. Many lives were lost that day.
The Harsh Reality
Comparing systems, Nana King noted that in America, hospitals take care of you first before giving you the bill, unlike Ghana where access to care is often delayed.
“Ghana feels like an animal kingdom—only the strongest survive. Abroad has its own struggles, but at least here, human life is respected.”