The commitments followed discussions on Monday between Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, and South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, aimed at easing tensions sparked by attacks on Nigerian nationals in South Africa.
Nigeria Demands Action
South African vigilante groups have repeatedly targeted foreign African nationals and looted migrant-owned businesses in recent months, with anti-immigrant protesters marching in several cities in June calling for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Nigeria repatriated approximately 1,490 citizens following the unrest, the country's foreign ministry said on July 16. The violence has reignited a longstanding source of friction between Africa's two largest economies.
Enikanolaiye expressed Nigeria's deep concern over the continued violence, stating that at least 98 Nigerians have been killed since 2022 in mob attacks, hate-related violence and extrajudicial killings. He said Nigeria had documented cases in which police appeared unwilling to intervene, raising "issues of complicity if the state authorities are unwilling or not able" to protect foreign nationals.
"We agreed that we should de-escalate the tension that had erupted between our two countries and our people," Enikanolaiye said after the talks, adding that both sides would lower the temperature of public discourse and preserve ties built through decades of cooperation.
South Africa's Commitments
Lamola said the South African government condemned "all forms of xenophobia" and stressed that no individual had the right to take the law into their own hands.
"The protest and the violence that is happening are not state-sponsored and are not condoned by the South African government," he said.
South Africa assured Nigeria that perpetrators of the attacks would be prosecuted. Lamola informed the Nigerian delegation that arrests had been made in connection with recent attacks and that prosecutions were underway.
Compensation Claims and Safeguards
Nigeria is compiling claims for property losses suffered by Nigerians that could form the basis of future compensation discussions.
The Federal Government has introduced a data collection process for Nigerians who lost property during the attacks. "We have designed a form to be filled by all Nigerians who may have lost property in South Africa. We want to proceed on the basis of data and the quantum of losses they have suffered before tabling our claims," Enikanolaiye said.
Nigeria also sought stronger safeguards for its citizens, including an early warning system, increased police protection in violence-prone areas and accountability for those behind the attacks. Tinubu agreed the attacks were "Afrophobic" rather than merely xenophobic, urging African countries to confront the growing trend collectively.
South Africa's Concerns
Lamola said Pretoria remained concerned about criminal activities allegedly involving some Nigerian nationals, including drug trafficking and cybercrime, while stressing that such offences should be addressed through the legal system rather than vigilante action.
With reporting from The Punch, The Gazette, The Sun Nigeria, Premium Times, SABC News, Daily Post, and The Guardian Nigeria.
