THE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, on Tuesday met with South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Mr. Ronald Lamola, over growing concerns about recurring xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in the Southern African country.
News Point Nigeria reports that Lamola, who is a special envoy of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, is in Nigeria to engage the Federal Government as diplomatic efforts intensify to address the persistent attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals living in South Africa.
Speaking during the meeting, Enikanolaiye disclosed that President Bola Tinubu directed the engagement to facilitate an open and frank discussion on the continued attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
The minister urged the South African government to take urgent and concrete steps to end what Nigeria described as recurring Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals.
He warned that the continued violence poses a serious threat to the longstanding strategic partnership between Africa’s two largest economies.
Enikanolaiye also recalled Nigeria’s historic role in supporting South Africa’s liberation from apartheid and the close collaboration between both countries in transforming the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) into the African Union (AU), as well as advancing the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
He expressed concern over what he described as a recurring pattern of xenophobic violence spanning more than three decades, noting that similar attacks were recorded in 1995, 1998, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2026.
The minister stressed that the recurring incidents underscore the urgent need for decisive action to protect Nigerians and other African migrants while preserving the strong diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and South Africa.
