Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned what he described as the Tinubu administration’s characteristically sluggish and underwhelming response to the renewed anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa.
In a statement by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said it is both embarrassing and unacceptable that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and self-acclaimed giant, had to be shamed into action while smaller nations such as Ghana moved swiftly to protect their citizens.
Atiku noted that the government of Ghana demonstrated urgency and leadership by approving the immediate evacuation of over 300 distressed citizens following the latest wave of xenophobic threats, while the Nigerian government appeared hesitant, reactive, and devoid of the decisive urgency expected of a nation with Nigeria’s diplomatic stature.
The African Democratic Congress leader urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to abandon what he described as its habitual slow-footedness and demonstrate the urgency and competence Nigerians deserve, especially in moments where lives and national dignity are at stake.
“It is deeply troubling that Nigeria, a country that prides itself as the leader of the Black world and the giant of Africa, once again found itself reacting instead of leading in a moment of continental crisis.
“When the first signs of danger emerged, smaller African nations acted with clarity, compassion, and urgency. Ghana moved decisively. Others issued strong advisories and activated protective mechanisms for their nationals. But Nigeria, whose citizens have historically borne the brunt of xenophobic violence in South Africa, moved with the lethargy that has become the defining trademark of this administration.
“Yes, the government has now spoken. Yes, repatriation talks have been mentioned. But the critical question remains: why did it take external pressure and the decisive action of others before Nigeria found its voice?
“This is not about whether the government eventually responded. It is about whether that response reflected the urgency, seriousness, and leadership expected of a responsible government. By every objective standard, it did not.
“For years, Nigerians in South Africa have endured recurring cycles of intimidation, harassment, looting, and xenophobic hostility. Businesses have been destroyed. Lives have been endangered. Families have lived in fear. Yet successive Nigerian responses have followed the same tired script—summon diplomats, issue cautious statements, and retreat into bureaucratic inertia until the next crisis erupts.
“A government’s first obligation is the protection of its citizens—wherever they may be. A government that waits until other nations have taken the lead before acting sends a dangerous signal: that the lives of its citizens are negotiable.
“It is frankly humiliating that Ghana, with far fewer diplomatic resources and citizens abroad, projected stronger leadership and clearer compassion than Nigeria in this moment.
“Nigeria must go beyond half-measures. The federal government must issue a robust and unambiguous travel advisory, activate efficient evacuation arrangements for willing citizens, intensify diplomatic engagement with South African authorities, and rally the African Union toward a lasting continental framework against recurring xenophobic violence.
“Africa cannot continue to preach unity while tolerating periodic persecution of fellow Africans. And Nigeria cannot continue to posture as a continental leader while behaving like a reluctant observer,” he stated.
DAILY POST reports that Nigerians have become major targets of the xenophobic attack in South Africa but in response, the Nigerian government announced plans to evacuate citizens.
