Ensure that make is invoked from a specific directory - makefile

Question

I would like all my recipes to be executed from a specific directory, the directory where the Makefile is located.
This is the default behaviour when invoking make without options, but an user could always run :
(cd /somewhere; make -f /path/to/directory/Makefile)
To ensure that make working directory is the same as the directory where the Makefile is located, there are multiple solutions :
run make without options (default), from this specific directory (cd /path/to/directory; make)
use make -C /path/to/directory
cd to /path/to/directory for each recipe, like this :
MAKEFILE_DIR_LOCATION := $(dir $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))))
a:
cd ${MAKEFILE_DIR_LOCATION} && do_something_from_makefile_folder
b:
cd ${MAKEFILE_DIR_LOCATION} && do_another_thing_from_makefile_folder
The problem is that the first two solutions requires actions from the user invoking the Makefile, while the last one clutters the Makefile.
Is there a prettier way to ensure that all recipes are executed from the directory where the Makefile is located?
Extra solution (does not work)
I also thought comparing the working directory ($(shell pwd)) to ${MAKEFILE_DIR_LOCATION}, and exit if it does not match (at least to warn the user that make is not correctly invoked), but I can't find how to do this. I tried :
MAKEFILE_DIR_LOCATION := $(dir $(abspath $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))))
WORKING_DIR := $(shell pwd)
ifneq (${MAKEFILE_DIR_LOCATION}, ${WORKING_DIR})
#error "Please run make from the directory of the Makefile, or use make -C"
endif
a:
do_something_from_makefile_folder
b:
do_another_thing_from_makefile_folder
But I got a missing separator error (line #error), or a recipe commences before first target if #error line is indented.

Answer 1

Answering the question you asked without commenting on whether it's a good idea or not, I'm not sure where you found this syntax:
#error "Please run make from the directory of the Makefile, or use make -C"
but it's definitely wrong. error is a make function, so you want this:
$(error Please run make from the directory of the Makefile, or use make -C)

Answer 2

A variant on your last attempt would re-invoke Make in the correct directory, with the same target:
ifneq (${MAKEFILE_DIR_LOCATION},${WORKING_DIR})
%:
$(MAKE) -C ${MAKEFILE_DIR_LOCATION} $#
.PHONY: %
else
## rest of Makefile rules
endif