Xenophobic Attacks: Nigeria Demands Urgent Action as 90 Nigerians Killed in South Africa

The Federal Government has demanded urgent and concrete measures to end xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa, following the killing of at least 90 Nigerians in such violence since June 2022.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, said fresh attacks and displacement were recorded in 2026, warning that continued violence was eroding South Africa’s international reputation, investor confidence and moral authority.

Nigeria said South Africa must strengthen transparent and humane migration systems, while immigration enforcement must remain the sole responsibility of the state to prevent vigilantism and mob attacks against African migrants.

Nigeria and Ghana are set to raise the issue at the next African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government, with Abuja also seeking the activation of early-warning mechanisms and stronger people-to-people diplomacy to rebuild trust across Africa.

The Federal Government has demanded urgent and concrete action from the South African authorities to halt the persistent xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals in the country.

The demand followed the disclosure that no fewer than 90 Nigerians had been killed in Afrophobic violence in South Africa since June 2022, with fresh attacks and displacement recorded in 2026.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, made the position known during a virtual roundtable on “South Africa’s Xenophobia in Comparative Perspective,” convened by the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA).

A statement issued by Raphael Oni, Special Assistant on Digital Media and Public Diplomacy in the Office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said Enikanolaiye called for stronger migration governance, responsible political leadership and deeper people-to-people ties across the continent to tackle the crisis.

The minister said Nigeria viewed Afrophobia as a serious challenge that must be addressed without either denial or exaggeration.

He said the nature of the attacks made “Afrophobia” a more accurate description of the violence, given its particularly African, post-colonial and post-apartheid character.

‘There Is Blood, Sacrifice And Solidarity In Nigeria-South Africa Relationship’

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Amb Sola EnikanolaiyeEnikanolaiye expressed concern over what he described as the contradiction of citizens from countries that stood firmly with South Africa during its anti-apartheid struggle now being targeted as unwanted outsiders.

He said the Federal Government had directed the NIIA to undertake a comprehensive study documenting Nigeria’s support for the South African liberation struggle.

According to him, Nigeria’s financial commitment to the struggle exceeded $60 billion, in addition to the nationalisation of British Petroleum, provision of 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,” the minister said.

He expressed grave concern over the loss of lives, revealing that at least 90 Nigerians had been killed in Afrophobic violence since June 2022.

He added that the situation remained a live concern, with new attacks and displacement reported in 2026.

The minister warned that continued attacks against African nationals were not only a Nigerian concern but also a threat to South Africa’s standing on the continent and globally.

He said the violence undermined South Africa’s international reputation, weakened investor confidence, threatened regional integration and diminished the moral authority the country earned during its liberation struggle.

“To break the cycle, Nigeria is urging South African authorities to strengthen migration systems that are transparent and humane, and to ensure that the enforcement of immigration laws remained solely with the state,” he said.

Enikanolaiye cautioned against vigilantism, stressing that individuals and groups must not be allowed to take immigration enforcement into their own hands.

He equally urged political leaders to exercise restraint in their rhetoric, particularly against statements portraying migrants as criminals or “job thieves.”

According to him, such rhetoric can create an atmosphere in which hostility against foreign nationals becomes normalised and violence is allowed to thrive.

The minister also called for public debate on migration to be based on facts and credible data rather than misinformation and rumours circulating on social media.

“Nigeria calls for the full activation of existing Nigeria–South Africa early-warning and rapid-response mechanisms to detect and defuse tensions before they escalate,” he said.

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Beyond diplomatic engagement between governments, Enikanolaiye said Nigeria was advocating stronger people-to-people diplomacy as a long-term solution to the crisis.

He said businesses, universities, religious and traditional institutions, youth organisations, civil society groups and the media must be mobilised to rebuild trust and promote a stronger shared African identity.

The minister said 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 contributing to migration and xenophobia, he insisted that immediate priority must be given to the hate-driven violence and attacks responsible for deaths and displacement among African nationals.

“What Africa needs now is not mere tolerance, but belonging to a continent where a Nigerian in Johannesburg and a South African in Lagos are regarded first as Africans with equal dignity,” he said.

Enikanolaiye further reaffirmed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to the welfare and protection of Nigerians living abroad.

He cited the President’s direct intervention in the recent repatriation of Nigerians from South Africa and commended the heads of Nigeria’s missions in Pretoria and Johannesburg for ensuring that the exercise was carried out promptly.

The minister assured that Nigeria would continue to work with South Africa, the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other partners to address the problem and advance the broader objective of African integration.