ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigeria has stepped up diplomatic pressure on South Africa over the treatment of Nigerians and other African migrants, with Vice President Kashim Shettima saying the government would no longer accept the “dehumanisation” of its citizens. Shettima made the remarks in Luanda, Angola, after representing President Bola Tinubu at an African Union summit, where Nigeria formally called for continental action over recurring reports of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa. Afrophobia generally refers to hostility or discrimination directed specifically at people from other African countries.
Shettima said Nigeria preferred dialogue with Pretoria but would speak firmly when the safety and dignity of its citizens were threatened. “We don’t want to overheat the polity,” he said, while urging South African authorities to protect people and ensure that immigration laws are enforced humanely. Nigeria has asked the African Union to place the issue on the agenda of its 40th Ordinary Session, scheduled for January 2027, arguing that attacks on African migrants threaten continental solidarity and peaceful coexistence.
The warning follows months of tension over anti-migrant protests and violence in parts of South Africa. Nigeria says 1,490 of its citizens were evacuated from South Africa in June and July following security concerns linked to attacks on foreign nationals. South African authorities have also carried out operations against undocumented migrants, but the government says immigration enforcement must remain lawful and humane and has warned that private groups have no right to intimidate foreigners or block them from hospitals, schools and other public services.
South Africa has rejected portrayals of the country as broadly hostile to Africans. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government says it condemns xenophobia, Afrophobia, vigilantism and discrimination and insists that migration problems should be addressed through the rule of law rather than attacks on foreign nationals. Pretoria has also said isolated acts of intimidation should not be used to characterize the entire country, which remains home to migrants, businesses and professionals from across the continent.
The dispute carries historical weight because Nigeria was one of Africa’s strongest supporters of the campaign against apartheid, providing political, financial and diplomatic backing to liberation movements fighting white-minority rule in South Africa. Shettima invoked that history in Luanda, saying Nigerians were especially pained by reports of humiliation because their country had participated in the struggle for Southern Africa’s liberation. Relations between Abuja and Pretoria have since developed into an important partnership between two of Africa’s largest economies and most influential diplomatic powers.
The confrontation is being watched beyond both countries because migration, unemployment and anti-foreigner sentiment have become increasingly sensitive political issues across Africa. Nigeria and South Africa are central players in the African Union and in efforts to expand economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area. A prolonged dispute could complicate cooperation on trade, migration and regional diplomacy, though both governments have publicly emphasized dialogue. South Africa’s government has said perpetrators of violence against migrants should face prosecution, while Nigeria says protection of its citizens must remain a priority in its relationship with Pretoria.
