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This week, Nigeria started evacuating its citizens from South Africa. As it happened in the past, the country is taking its citizens out of the former apartheid enclave to safety. It is a necessay action coming at a time when Nigerians are being verbally abused, violently attacked, and cruelly debased by citizens of a country, whose freedom was secured by the contributions – resources and political will – of our fatherland.
It is indeed a black period for Nigerians and Africans as a whole. That South Africans are meting out xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals represents one of the greatest contradictions of post-apartheid Africa. It is a painful reminder that while political freedom may have been won, the struggle for true African unity, solidarity, and brotherhood remains unfinished.
In South Africa, Nigerians have become endangered species. The pattern is familiar. Businesses are looted. Homes are burnt. Innocent lives are threatened. And people are forced to flee simply because of their nationality. Each cycle of violence leaves behind not only physical destruction but also emotional scars that deepen mistrust among Africans who should be partners in progress.
What makes these attacks particularly troubling is the historical relationship between Nigeria and South Africa. During the dark years of apartheid, Nigeria stood firmly with the South African liberation struggle. Successive Nigerian governments, students, workers, professionals, and ordinary citizens contributed resources and political support to the fight against racial oppression. At that time, Nigeria joined the Frontline States and became one of the loudest voices demanding freedom for the South African people. Nigeria committed resources. Nigeria suffered odium from those who supported apartheid. But despite losing much, Nigeria was resolute that apartheid must end.
Many Nigerians therefore find it difficult to understand how South Africans, beneficiaries of a hard-won liberation struggle supported by the continent, can now turn against other Africans seeking legitimate opportunities to live, work, and contribute to society. The argument often advanced by perpetrators of xenophobic violence is that foreign nationals are responsible for unemployment, crime, and economic hardship. It is, however, obvious that such claims are not only simplistic but dangerously misleading. Economic challenges are products of complex governance, policy, and structural issues. They cannot be solved by attacking immigrants or destroying their businesses.
South Africans must know that history teaches that societies do not become prosperous by targeting vulnerable groups. Nations become prosperous through sound leadership, economic reforms, job creation, education, and social inclusion. Blaming foreigners for domestic challenges and personal misfortune is simply a product of inferiority complex. Such actions merely diverts attention from the real issues requiring urgent attention.
Nigerians living in South Africa have made significant contributions to the country’s economy, academia, healthcare, entertainment industry, entrepreneurship, and professional services. Many Nigerians have invested their savings, created jobs, paid taxes, and helped stimulate economic activity. To reduce an entire community to harmful stereotypes is both unjust and wicked.
Xenophobia is particularly tragic in Africa because it strikes at the very foundation of Pan-Africanism. The vision championed by Africa’s founding fathers was not one of fragmented nationalisms but of continental solidarity. Leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah, Julius Nyerere, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Patrice Lumumba, Jomo Kenyatta, Herbert Macaulay and Nelson Mandela believed that Africans share a common destiny. They envisioned a continent where borders would not become barriers to cooperation and mutual respect. When, therefore, South Africans attack Nigerians and nationals of other Africa countries because of nationality, that vision suffers a devastating blow.
Xenophobic attacks in South Africa are evil winds that ultimately blow the country no good. History has repeatedly shown that societies that turn against outsiders often end up hurting themselves more than those they seek to exclude. If South Africans succeed in intimidating and driving away fellow Africans who live, work and invest in their country, South Africa itself will bear the greatest cost.
A recent example is the treatment meted out to Chidimma Adetshina. Despite being South African by birth, she became the target of intense hostility because of her Nigerian heritage. The pressure forced her out of the Miss South Africa pageant. Yet, after embracing her Nigerian roots, she went on to win Miss Nigeria and subsequently emerged as the first runner-up at the Miss Universe competition. Had she represented South Africa, that global recognition would have belonged to South Africa. No nation can exist in isolation. Even the United States, arguably the world’s most powerful and technologically advanced nation, continues to attract and welcome immigrants because it recognizes the value of global talent.
This is why the South African government should rise above merely condemning xenophobic violence. Condemnation alone is insufficient. More decisive actions are required. Law enforcement agencies must ensure that perpetrators are identified, arrested, and punished. Political leaders must avoid careless talks that fuel hostility toward immigrants. Community organisations, religious institutions, and educational establishments must promote tolerance and social cohesion.
Outside South Africa, African governments cannot remain silent whenever their citizens become targets abroad. Diplomacy must be proactive rather than reactive. The African Union and regional organisations should develop stronger mechanisms for preventing xenophobic violence and protecting the rights of African citizens across the continent.
Xenophobia is a betrayal of Africa’s shared history and collective aspirations. Every attack on a Nigerian in South Africa is an attack on the ideals of African brotherhood. Every act of violence weakens the dream of a united and prosperous continent. We can either allow fear, prejudice, and misinformation to divide Africa, or we can embrace the spirit of solidarity that helped defeat colonialism and apartheid. The latter path is essential for Africa’s future.
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Xenophobic attacks in South Africa demand more than expressions of outrage. While anger and frustration are understandable, the challenge requires a strategic, coordinated, and dignified response from both the Nigerian government and Nigerian citizens.
The safety and dignity of Nigerians abroad are matters of national concern. Every sovereign nation has a responsibility to protect its citizens, regardless of where they reside. The federal government must, therefore, protect Nigerians in South Africa. While evacuation of Nigerians is going on, Nigeria must continue to engage South Africa through diplomatic channels, making it clear that attacks on Nigerians are unacceptable. High-level meetings between both governments should move beyond routine condemnations and focus on concrete measures to prevent future violence. Whenever Nigerians are attacked, Nigerian diplomatic missions must immediately seek explanations, demand investigations, and monitor the prosecution of perpetrators.
The Nigerian High Commission and consulates in South Africa should establish rapid-response mechanisms for Nigerians facing threats. Emergency hotlines, legal assistance, temporary shelters, and evacuation plans should always be readily available. Nigerians abroad must be made to feel that their government is present, accessible, and willing to intervene when necessary.
One of the reasons xenophobic attacks recur is the perception that perpetrators often escape meaningful punishment. Nigeria should consistently demand thorough investigations and prosecution of offenders. Justice serves not only the victims but also acts as a deterrent against future attacks. South Africa must confront xenophobia decisively and ensure that every African within its borders enjoys safety and dignity. The country must punish offenders.
Nigeria should push the African Union and regional bodies to develop stronger frameworks against xenophobia. The protection of Africans in fellow African countries should become a continental priority. Africa cannot preach integration while keeping quiet about violence against fellow Africans.
Whatever anybody thinks, Nigeria remains one of Africa’s largest economies and a major market for South African businesses. While diplomacy should remain the primary tool, Nigeria should start considering the review of bilateral arrangements when the safety of its citizens is repeatedly threatened. Economic relations should reflect mutual respect and responsibility.
Back home, the government should take measures to reduce the migration of Nigerians to other countries by fixing the country. Events have shown that many Nigerians leave the country due to economic hardship and limited opportunities. By creating jobs, improving security, and strengthening economic growth at home, the government can reduce the desperation that often drives risky migration. A prosperous Nigeria gives its citizens greater choices and bargaining power globally.
On their part, Nigerians should remain law-abiding wherever they live. Nigerians abroad must uphold the reputation of being good immigrants by respecting the laws of their host countries and contributing positively to society. Good conduct strengthens the country’s image and weakens harmful categorisation. Nigerians should always conduct themselves responsibly while demanding their rights.
Nigerians in South Africa should maintain strong community organisations capable of providing information, support, and early warning during periods of tension. Unity often provides protection in difficult circumstances. These organisations and the Nigerian High Commission should document victims, witnesses, threats, attacks, and discriminatory actions. This is necessary because evidence strengthens legal cases and helps governments respond effectively.
Despite the losses, in life and property, retaliation is out of the question. Calls for revenge or attacks on South African interests in Nigeria should not be encouraged as this would only worsen tensions and endanger innocent people. Violence cannot be cured by more violence. The response must be firm, lawful, and strategic.
Nigerians living in South Africa and other countries should make it a duty to register with Nigerian missions. They should maintain contact with Nigerian diplomatic missions and keep their documentation up to date. This makes it easier for authorities to provide assistance during emergencies.
The solution for xenophobic violence in South Africa lies not in hostility between nations but in justice, accountability, and a renewed commitment to African brotherhood. Africa’s future depends on Africans seeing one another not as competitors or intruders, but as partners in a shared destiny.
Nigerians and South Africans should not be enemies. They are brothers and sisters linked by history, struggle, and destiny. It is time for the violence to end and for the promise of African unity to prevail over the poison of xenophobia.
