Foreign Affairs Minister Sola Enikanolaiye calls for stronger migration governance and action against violence targeting African nationals
Nigeria has urged South Africa to take urgent and concrete measures to end Afrophobic attacks against African nationals, warning that continued violence threatens continental integration and South Africa’s international standing.
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Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, made the call on Tuesday during a virtual roundtable on “South Africa’s Xenophobia in Comparative Perspective”, convened by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria regarded the attacks as a serious challenge that should be confronted without either denial or exaggeration, arguing that the term “Afrophobia” more accurately reflected the character of the violence.
He described the phenomenon as having “a particularly African, post-colonial and post-apartheid character”, while expressing concern that nationals of countries that supported South Africa during its struggle against apartheid could now be treated as unwanted outsiders.
The minister said Nigeria was particularly concerned about the loss of lives, disclosing that about 90 Nigerians had been killed in Afrophobic attacks since June 2022.
He added that fresh attacks and displacement had also been recorded in 2026, underscoring what he described as the need for a more decisive response from South African authorities.
“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,” Enikanolaiye said.
To preserve that history, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has directed the NIIA to undertake a comprehensive study documenting Nigeria’s contribution to South Africa’s liberation struggle.
Enikanolaiye said Nigeria’s financial contribution to the struggle was estimated at more than $60 billion, alongside measures including the nationalisation of British Petroleum, scholarships for South Africans and hospitality extended to South African leaders who sought refuge in Nigeria.
The minister said the historical relationship made the treatment of African nationals in South Africa particularly troubling.
He warned that continued violence could damage South Africa’s international reputation, weaken investor confidence and undermine regional integration, while diminishing the moral authority associated with its liberation history.
Enikanolaiye called on South African authorities to establish more transparent and humane migration systems, stressing that immigration enforcement should remain the responsibility of the state.
He also warned against vigilantism and urged political leaders to exercise restraint in their public statements.
According to the minister, descriptions of migrants as “criminals” or “job thieves” can fuel an atmosphere in which violence becomes easier to justify.
He further called for public debate on migration to be guided by credible data rather than misinformation and rumours circulated through social media.
Nigeria also wants existing Nigeria-South Africa early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms fully activated to identify tensions before they develop into violence.
Enikanolaiye said the response should extend beyond government institutions, advocating stronger people-to-people diplomacy involving businesses, universities, religious and traditional institutions, youth organisations, civil society groups and the media.
Such engagement, he said, could help rebuild trust while reinforcing a shared African identity.
The minister disclosed that Nigeria, working with Ghana, would raise 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, he said greater attention must be devoted to preventing hate-driven violence against African nationals.
“Africa needs to move beyond mere tolerance towards creating a continent where citizens of African countries could live and work with equal dignity,” he said.
The renewed Nigerian appeal comes as migration remains a sensitive issue in South Africa, where economic pressures, unemployment and irregular migration have periodically fuelled hostility towards foreign nationals.
Nigeria, however, has maintained that legitimate concerns about migration should not become a justification for collective punishment or attacks against Africans.
Enikanolaiye also reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad, citing the President’s 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 facilitating the exercise.
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The minister said the Federal Government would continue working with South Africa, the African Union, ECOWAS and other partners to ensure that Africa’s ambition for deeper integration is matched by practical solidarity and protection for its citizens.
David Okere is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering business, governance, public affairs, and human-interest stories with a commitment to accuracy, balance, and public interest reporting.
