South African Xenophobia: Nigeria Needs  Firmer Measures 

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, met with South Africa’s Acting High Commissioner to Nigeria, Lesoli Machele, over the renewed wave of Xenophobic attacks meted out to Nigerians and other African foreigners in South Africa. Kimiebi Ebiena, spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noted that the meeting was to demand justice for the deaths of two Nigerians who died under concerning conditions, and to urge South Africa to end xenophobic attacks.

The two Nigerians, Nnaemeka Matthew Andrew Ekpeyong and Kelvin Chidiebere Amaramiro, succumbed to injuries sustained while in the custody of South African security forces. In response, the Nigerian government called on the South African authorities to ensure justice and set up a thorough, transparent investigation into the incident.

The Nigerian government also registered its concerns about the violent hostility and the effects on  Nigeria’s relationship with South Africa. Nigeria has requested the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Early Warning Mechanism in order to better safeguard the lives of Nigerians in South Africa, manage conflicts, and rapidly share information to subdue conflicts. This Memorandum of Understanding will require both states to establish a joint committee to manage future occurrences. 

Other African Countries are Increasing Pressure on South Africa

Since the resurgence of xenophobic violence against African foreigners in South Africa, African nations have instituted urgent diplomatic responses to safeguard their citizens. Since April 23, 2026, Ghana has attempted to increase diplomatic pressure on South Africa. 

In April, Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration summoned South Africa’s top diplomat in Accra, Thando Dalamba, to protest and demand immediate protection for Ghanaian citizens. Ghana’s foreign minister, Samuel Ablakwa, also held a telephone conversation with Ronald Lamola, Minister of International Relations in South Africa, urging the country to conduct full-scale investigations into incidents where Ghanaians were publicly harassed. The Ghana High Commission in Pretoria also issued a formal safety advisory shortly after, advising Ghanaians in South Africa to avoid certain regions.

The government of Zimbabwe, in addition to issuing an advisory warning citizens to limit movement and remain vigilant, through its embassy, established a dedicated emergency hotline and email channel specifically for incident reporting and has also set up evacuation plans for its citizens in South Africa. 

The president of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, travelled to South Africa to meet with President Cyril Ramaphosa to deal with the rising attacks on Mozambican nationals and coordinate joint efforts to discourage the violence. Mozambique also plans to “reinforce the police and military contingent to contain the demonstrations and prevent outbreaks of violence.” 

Why Nigeria Must Match Continental Resolve 

This intensifying wave of xenophobic attacks provides Nigeria with a chance to renew its strength on the continental stage, at least. The combination of poor diplomatic policies, non-career diplomats in ambassadorial roles, economic instability, and governance failures have whittled down Nigeria’s ability to project its power on the continent and beyond. When compared to strong actions from other African nations, the strength of Nigeria’s responses lags behind. Nigeria needs to adopt unequivocal measures that will reflect a stronger stance on this issue and put pressure on the South African government to protect black foreigners and cease the violence. 

For an issue of recurring cycles, dating as far back as the early post-apartheid period, Nigeria must implement stronger measures, binding agreements, and effective response systems to demonstrate firm commitment to the protection of its citizens. The record shows that soft diplomatic responses, such as issuing advisories and other soft approaches, like formal protests, repeated summons of envoys and public condemnations,  have been insufficient and cannot continue as a default response  in mitigating this crisis. 

Nigeria can explore stronger continental and global institutions like the African Union and the United Nations. Taking the matter to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights would formalize accountability and put direct, significant pressure on South Africa. Xenophobic attacks violate numerous provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), including the right to life in Article 4, dignity and prohibition of torture in Article 5, freedom of movement and residence in Article 12, and a violation of the continental principle of African Solidarity that upholds the charter. These attacks also violate the spirit of other continental charters and conventions. Thus, putting an end to them requires more institutional measures than mere meetings. 

In a recent statement, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights condemned the long-standing attacks and flagged multiple violations against the ACPHR. The commission went on to demand “prompt, concrete, and sustained measures to prevent recurrence and ensure accountability.” Additionally, Nigeria must swiftly consider targeted diplomatic reprisals such as reviewing bilateral agreements, slowing cooperation in key sectors, and even lobbying other African countries to do the same. This stronger, coordinated response can give Nigeria a stronger posture in relation to this crisis.