Nigeria, South Africa meet over xenophobic attacks on Nigerians

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, met with South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, on July 29, 2026, to address rising xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. Enikanolaiye said President Bola Tinubu directed the meeting after repeated outbreaks, with the latest incident recorded in 2026. He urged Pretoria to take urgent, concrete steps to end what Nigeria calls recurring Afrophobic violence, noting the threat to decades-long strategic partnership between Africa’s two largest economies. The minister recalled Nigeria’s support for South Africa’s apartheid liberation and joint work in forming the African Union and NEPAD. Nigeria has evaluated 1,490 citizens returned from South Africa following the renewed attacks, and President Tinubu recently declined to receive a special envoy from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. For Nigerians, the diplomatic push signals Abuja’s determination to protect its nationals abroad, but also highlights the limits of diplomacy when attacks persist. Will stronger enforcement, community engagement, or economic incentives finally curb the violence, or will Nigerians continue to rely on evacuation and repatriation as their main recourse?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/07/29/nigeria-meets-south-africa-over-xenophobic-attacks/