Nigeria Urges South Africa to Halt Xenophobic Attacks on Nigerians

Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, met South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, to address recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. Lamola, a special envoy of President Cyril Ramaphosa, met Enikanolaiye after President Bola Tinubu directed the talks amid growing concern over the violence. Enikanolaiye urged the South African government to take urgent, concrete steps to end what Nigeria describes as recurring Afrophobic attacks, warning that the violence threatens decades of strategic partnership between Africa's two largest economies. He recalled Nigeria's support for South Africa's liberation from apartheid, the joint role in transforming the Organisation of African Unity into the African Union, and advances in the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD). He noted a pattern of xenophobic violence dating back to 1995, with outbreaks recorded in 1998, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and again in 2026. The meeting signals Nigeria's determination to protect its citizens abroad while preserving bilateral ties. More details are expected as the discussion continues.

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/07/29/nigeria-south-africa-hold-talks-over-xenophobic-attacks/