By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Federal Government has called for urgent and concrete measures to end xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa, urging stronger migration governance, responsible political leadership and deeper people-to-people relations across the continent.
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 against African migrants in South Africa as an issue 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 ties among African countries.
The minister expressed concern over the irony of citizens from countries that supported South Africa during its anti-apartheid struggle being treated as “unwanted outsiders” decades later.
To preserve the historical record of Nigeria’s contribution to South Africa’s liberation struggle, he disclosed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had directed the NIIA to undertake a comprehensive study documenting the country’s support.
According to him, Nigeria’s financial commitment to the struggle was estimated at more than $60 billion, apart from the nationalization of British Petroleum, scholarships and 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.
The minister said the Federal Government was particularly concerned about the loss of Nigerian lives, noting that about 90 Nigerians had been killed in Afrophobic violence since June 2022, with fresh attacks and displacements recorded in 2026.
He warned that the continued violence was damaging South Africa’s international reputation, eroding investor confidence, threatening regional integration and weakening the moral authority the country earned during its liberation struggle.
Enikanolaiye urged South African authorities to strengthen transparent and humane migration systems, stressing that the enforcement of immigration laws must remain the responsibility of the state.
He also cautioned against vigilantism and urged political leaders to be mindful of their rhetoric, warning that descriptions of migrants as “criminals” or “job thieves” could create an environment conducive to violence.
The minister further called for public discourse on migration to be based on facts and data rather than misinformation and social media rumours.
He said Nigeria 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 into violence.
Beyond government intervention, Enikanolaiye advocated stronger people-to-people diplomacy involving businesses, universities, religious and traditional institutions, youth organizations, civil society groups and the media.
He said these stakeholders had important roles to play in rebuilding trust and promoting a shared African identity.
The minister disclosed that Nigeria, in partnership 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 examine the “push and pull factors” behind migration, he said Nigeria believed priority attention must be given to hate-driven violence and attacks that continue to cause suffering among African nationals.
Enikanolaiye stressed that Africa needed more than mere tolerance, saying the continent should promote a sense of belonging in which Nigerians in Johannesburg and South Africans in Lagos were regarded first as Africans deserving equal dignity.
He also reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare and protection of Nigerians abroad, citing the President’s intervention in the recent repatriation of Nigerians from South Africa.
The minister commended Nigeria’s Heads of Mission in Pretoria and Johannesburg, as well as other stakeholders, for ensuring the repatriation exercise was carried out promptly.
He 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 was matched by unity and solidarity in practice.
