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 on Tuesday at a virtual roundtable on “South Africa’s Xenophobia in Comparative Perspective,” convened by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria viewed the recurring violence as a serious challenge that must be addressed without denial or exaggeration, describing it as having “a particularly African, post-colonial and post-apartheid character,” making the term Afrophobia more appropriate.
He expressed concern over what he described as the contradiction of citizens from African countries that supported South Africa during its anti-apartheid struggle being targeted today as “unwanted outsiders.”
To preserve the historical record, the minister disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had directed the NIIA to undertake a comprehensive study documenting Nigeria’s contribution to South Africa’s liberation struggle.
According to him, Nigeria’s support was estimated at more than $60 billion, apart from the nationalisation of British Petroleum, scholarships and the hospitality extended to South African leaders during the struggle.
“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.
The minister expressed grave 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.
He warned that continued violence against African nationals could damage South Africa’s international reputation, weaken investor confidence, threaten regional integration and diminish the moral authority the country earned during its liberation struggle.
Enikanolaiye urged South African authorities to strengthen transparent and humane migration systems while ensuring that immigration laws are enforced exclusively by the state.
He also cautioned against vigilantism and urged political leaders to moderate their rhetoric, warning that narratives portraying migrants as “criminals” or “job thieves” could create an atmosphere conducive to violence.
Nigeria, he added, advocated public discourse based on facts and credible data rather than misinformation and social media rumours.
The minister further called for the full activation of existing Nigeria-South Africa early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms to enable both countries to identify and defuse tensions before they escalate into violence.
Beyond government intervention, he stressed the importance of people-to-people diplomacy, urging businesses, universities, religious and traditional institutions, youth organisations, civil society groups and the media to play greater roles in rebuilding trust and strengthening a shared African identity.
Enikanolaiye 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 engage on the “push and pull factors” behind migration, he maintained that urgent attention must be given to hate-driven attacks and violence against African nationals.
He said Africa needed more than tolerance, but a continent where “a Nigerian in Johannesburg and a South African in Lagos are regarded first as Africans with equal dignity.”
The minister also reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare and protection of 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, alongside other stakeholders, for ensuring the repatriation exercise was carried out promptly.
Enikanolaiye reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to working with South Africa, the African Union, ECOWAS and other partners to ensure that the goal of African integration is matched by unity and solidarity in practice.
