The discrimination which many Nigerians suffer in foreign lands is gradually creeping into our shores. In some shops and schools run by foreigners in Nigeria, this practice appears to be prevalent. This is unacceptable. Recent reports about this phenomenon are disturbing and it behoves on the relevant authorities to end the discriminatory practice.
In a recent report, an Indian language school in Ilupeju, Lagos State, was reported to have been exclusively admitting only children of Indian nationals but denying admission to Nigerian children. The Lagos State Government says it will investigate the matter and will close down the school if found culpable. According to the State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Alli-Balogun, the state government has a zero-tolerance policy against denying any child admission into any school. This, he notes, goes against the Child Rights Act which Lagos State has domesticated. Noting that about 12 private schools were shut down in the state in the past year for various infractions, the commissioner says the state government has been monitoring and regulating private schools to ensure compliance with safety and educational standards. The Indian High Commission also vowed to sanction all those found culpable in the alleged discrimination.
In another incident, a Chinese supermarket in Abuja reportedly discriminated against Nigerians. Acting Executive Vice Chairman of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Dr. Adamu Abdullahi, said the supermarket priced all its products in Chinese currency instead of the Naira. This is against the Nigerian law. The Commission had earlier sealed the supermarket located within the China General Chamber of Commerce for allegedly allowing only Chinese residents in the estate to enter while excluding Nigerians from either going inside or buying anything. Nigerians were outraged at this report.
The owner of the store, Liu Bei, said she didn’t discriminate against any Nigerian and that she had many local employees with whom she had good relationship. According to her, the community has requirements for visitors for safety reasons so that not everyone can enter the community directly. The China Chamber of Commerce spoke in a similar vein, saying no individual was denied access to the supermarket to buy things. Although Bei and the China Chamber of Commerce denied the allegation, Abdullahi threatened that the full wrath of the law would be visited on the supermarket if found to have erred.
This is not the first time such report of discrimination would be made against Chinese nationals. In April 2020, there were allegations that Nigerian residents in China faced discrimination and stigmatization as supposed carriers of COVID-19. The then Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, condemned the incident then, saying, “We saw images of Nigerians in the streets with their possessions and this was, of course, extremely distressing for us at home.”
In March 2020, the Nigerian government shut down a Chinese restaurant in Lagos for allegedly discriminating against Nigerians. The restaurant, Haufei, located on Victoria Island, Lagos, purportedly did not sell food and drinks to Nigerians. A supermarket located within the same facility was also said to have disallowed Nigerians from buying things there. Unknown to the restaurant, operatives of the FCCPC secretly visited the place but the restaurant declined them service. The commission consequently shut down the restaurant and the supermarket.
Nigerians should not suffer discrimination abroad and at home as well. Most times, Nigerian passport holders face undue harassment and discrimination in foreign airports. Even in some African countries, Nigerians are discriminated against just for being Nigerians. In South Africa, for instance, they suffer xenophobic attacks from time to time. Nigerian businessmen in Ghana have also gone through some harassment in the course of doing their business. In 2020, about 753 Nigerian traders sent a Save-Our-Soul letter to the Federal Government requesting evacuation from Ghana. They alleged constant harassment, intimidation, torture, threat to their lives and total lockdown of their businesses in Ghana for almost one year. The Ghana Union of Traders’ Association (GUTA) had, in December 2019, shut down about 1,000 Nigerian shops in apparent retaliation for the closure of Nigerian Seme Krake Border in August 2019.
The freedom of Nigerians to move about in their country should not be abridged in any form or questioned by any anti-Nigerian policy. The foreigners perpetrating this discrimination should be sanctioned.
Government should investigate the reported cases thoroughly. Foreigners should not abuse their welcome and must always obey the laws of our land. Also, government should issue stern warning against those who discriminate against Nigerians in any form, including asking them to pay for services in dollars or any other foreign currency. We cannot tolerate apartheid or any form of discrimination in our country.