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Stella Omona
The Federal Government has called for urgent and concrete measures to end xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa, urging stronger migration governance, responsible political leadership and deeper continental solidarity.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call at a virtual roundtable on “South Africa’s Xenophobia in Comparative Perspective,” convened by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), his Special Adviser on Digital Media and Public Diplomacy, Raphael Oni, said in a statement on Wednesday.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria viewed the recurring violence against African nationals in South Africa as a challenge that must be addressed without denial or exaggeration, describing it as having a “particularly African, post-colonial and post-apartheid character.”
He said the term Afrophobia was therefore more appropriate in describing the attacks, particularly given the historical support rendered by African countries, including Nigeria, to South Africa during its anti-apartheid struggle.
The Minister disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had directed the NIIA to undertake a comprehensive study documenting Nigeria’s contributions to the liberation struggle. He said Nigeria’s financial commitment to the struggle was estimated at more than $60 billion, apart from the nationalisation of British Petroleum, scholarships and the hospitality extended to South African leaders in Nigeria.
“The relationship between Nigeria and South Africa is not reducible to trade statistics or diplomatic communiqués. There is history in that relationship. There is blood, sacrifice and solidarity in that history,” he said.
Enikanolaiye expressed concern over the loss of Nigerian lives in Afrophobic attacks, stating that about 90 Nigerians had been killed since June 2022, with fresh attacks and displacements recorded in 2026.
According to him, the continued violence is damaging South Africa’s international reputation, weakening investor confidence, threatening regional integration and undermining the moral authority the country gained through its liberation struggle.
To address the crisis, the Federal Government urged South African authorities to strengthen transparent and humane migration systems and ensure that immigration laws are enforced exclusively by the state.
The Minister also cautioned against vigilantism and urged political leaders to moderate their rhetoric, warning that descriptions of migrants as “criminals” or “job thieves” could create an environment conducive to violence.
He called for public discourse based on facts and credible data rather than misinformation and social media rumours.
Nigeria, he added, was also seeking the full activation of existing Nigeria-South Africa early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms to enable authorities to identify and defuse tensions before they escalate.
Enikanolaiye further advocated stronger people-to-people diplomacy involving businesses, universities, religious and traditional institutions, youth groups, civil society organisations and the media as part of efforts to rebuild trust and promote a shared African identity.
He disclosed that Nigeria, in collaboration with Ghana, would present the issue at the next session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government.
While acknowledging South Africa’s willingness to discuss the “push and pull factors” behind migration, the Minister stressed that immediate priority must be given to addressing the hate-driven attacks and violence against African nationals.
He said Africa needed more than tolerance, but a continent where Nigerians in Johannesburg and South Africans in Lagos were treated first as Africans with equal dignity.
The Minister also reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad, citing the President’s direct intervention in the recent repatriation of Nigerians from South Africa.
He commended Nigeria’s Heads of Mission in Pretoria and Johannesburg, as well as other stakeholders, for their role in ensuring the prompt execution of the repatriation exercise.
Enikanolaiye reaffirmed the Federal Government’s determination to work with South Africa, the African Union, ECOWAS and other partners to ensure that African integration is matched by unity and solidarity in practice.
