The Federal Government has begun plans to evacuate Nigerians willing to return home from South Africa following renewed anti-foreigner protests and rising tension in parts of the country.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this after a telephone conversation with South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, over recent demonstrations and reports of hostility toward migrants, particularly in Durban.
According to the minister, Lamola raised concerns about Nigeria’s evacuation plans, but she insisted the Nigerian government could not continue to watch its citizens face harassment, intimidation and alleged extra-judicial killings in South Africa.
“Our government cannot stand by and watch the systematic harassment and humiliation of Nigerians living in South Africa, including reports of extra-judicial killings. At this point, ensuring the safe return of citizens who wish to come home remains our priority,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also called on South African authorities to treat reported attacks on Nigerians with greater seriousness and ensure those responsible are punished.
She explained that although Wednesday’s protest in Durban did not turn violent due to the heavy presence of security personnel, Nigerians in the area were advised by the Nigerian mission to stay indoors and temporarily shut their businesses for safety reasons.
The minister expressed concern over what she described as inflammatory rhetoric and hostile actions by anti-foreigner groups, warning that the growing tension poses a threat to the lives and businesses of Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa.
She added that Nigerians in South Africa had continued to show restraint despite repeated provocation, cautioning that persistent hostility could eventually affect South African interests and businesses operating in Nigeria.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further revealed that some Nigerian families had reported cases of bullying involving Nigerian children and children born to Nigerian-South African parents, popularly called “Sougerians.”
According to her, some of the children were mocked in schools and told to “go back to their country,” a situation she described as disturbing and emotionally damaging.
She said Lamola assured her that South African authorities recognised their responsibility to protect the affected children and were already engaging relevant education agencies to address the issue.
While both countries agreed to continue diplomatic engagement to ease tensions, the minister questioned the continued use of the term xenophobia to describe the attacks.
“The calls for foreigners to leave South Africa appear to target mainly black Africans. That raises the question of whether this should really be described as Afrophobia rather than xenophobia,” she said.
She also disclosed that President Bola Tinubu had directed Nigerian missions in South Africa to immediately establish crisis response centres for Nigerians facing threats or intimidation.
Nigerians living in South Africa were advised to report any incidents of harassment or danger to local security agencies without delay.
Meanwhile, economists have warned against calls for blanket sanctions on South African companies operating in Nigeria, saying such a move could hurt Nigeria’s economy more than South Africa’s.
The warnings followed fresh calls by some groups and lawmakers for economic retaliation over the attacks on Nigerians.
Senator Adams Oshiomhole had suggested revoking the operating licences of companies such as MTN Nigeria and MultiChoice, while the National Association of Nigerian Students also threatened protests targeting South African-owned businesses.
However, economic experts argued that shutting down South African investments would amount to self-inflicted damage.
Acting Head of Research at FSL Capital Limited, Nnoruga Onyedikachi, said the attacks were largely driven by domestic economic frustrations in South Africa and not by the companies operating in Nigeria.
She warned that retaliatory actions would only create economic uncertainty without solving the actual problem.
Muda Yusuf, Chief Executive Officer of the Centre for the Promotion of Private Enterprise, also opposed sanctions, saying firms like MTN, Shoprite, MultiChoice and Stanbic IBTC employ thousands of Nigerians and contribute significantly to the economy.
According to him, targeting the businesses would hurt Nigerian workers, consumers and investors while damaging long-standing relations between both countries.
Other analysts, including Olufunmilola Adebowale of Parthian Partners and David Adonri of Highcap Securities, also urged caution, recommending diplomatic engagement instead of economic retaliation.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, also defended the government’s diplomatic approach, insisting that dialogue remains the most realistic way to address the recurring attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
NIDCOM spokesman, Abdulrahman Balogun, described the repeated incidents as unfortunate and said Nigeria would continue engaging South Africa diplomatically despite growing frustration over the situation.
