FG urges Pretoria to take urgent and concrete measures to end recurring attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, is holding talks with South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, over renewed xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians in South Africa.
Lamola is attending the meeting in Abuja as a special envoy of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Speaking during the engagement, Enikanolaiye said President Bola Tinubu had directed that the recurring attacks on Nigerians in South Africa be addressed frankly and decisively.
The minister called on the South African government to take immediate and concrete steps to halt what Nigeria described as recurring Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals, warning that the continued violence could strain the longstanding relationship between both countries.
He stressed that Nigeria remains committed to maintaining strong diplomatic ties with South Africa but insisted that the safety and protection of Nigerians living in the country must be guaranteed.
Enikanolaiye also recalled Nigeria’s support for South Africa’s struggle against apartheid and highlighted the longstanding cooperation between both nations in the transformation of the Organisation of African Unity into the African Union, as well as their joint efforts in advancing the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
Expressing concern over the repeated incidents of xenophobic violence, the minister noted that such attacks have been recorded since 1995, with subsequent outbreaks in 1998, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and now 2026.
He maintained that the Federal Government expects urgent and practical measures from South African authorities to address the crisis and ensure that Nigerians and other African nationals are protected from further attacks.
The meeting forms part of ongoing diplomatic efforts by both countries to resolve the latest tensions arising from the attacks and strengthen bilateral relations.