Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned that Nigeria will no longer accept the humiliation, mistreatment or dehumanisation of its citizens in South Africa.
He said the Federal Government will step up pressure over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks.
Shettima said Nigeria remained ready to engage South Africa through dialogue, but stressed that peaceful diplomacy should not be mistaken for silence whenever the safety and dignity of Nigerians are threatened.
The Vice President made the position known in Luanda, Angola, shortly before departing for Nigeria after representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
His comments came as Nigeria formally raised the issue of attacks against Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa before the African Union.
Speaking to journalists in Luanda, Shettima recalled Nigeria’s historic role in the struggle against apartheid and the liberation of Southern African countries.
He said the country therefore viewed the treatment of Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa as particularly painful, given the sacrifices Nigeria made during the liberation struggle.
“Those whose palm kernels were cracked by benevolent spirits should learn to be humble. We were part of the struggle for the liberation of our brothers and sisters in Southern Africa, and we feel personally pained that our people have been picked up for humiliation,” the Vice President said.
Shettima said Nigeria would continue to defend the interests of its citizens abroad while maintaining diplomatic channels with South Africa.
He added, “The government and people of Nigeria will no longer countenance a situation whereby our people are dehumanised and put into very, very unacceptable situations.
“But we believe in having very robust conversations with our South African brothers. We don’t want to overheat the polity, but once in a while, you have to make it very clear, vehemently clear, that certain situations are unacceptable, and we’ll work things out.”
At the AU summit in Luanda, Shettima also delivered President Tinubu’s message calling for collective action by African countries.
Tinubu urged the continental body to take up the issue at its next Ordinary Session in January 2027.
“Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa.
“While recognising South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws and acknowledging its contributions to the continent, Nigeria stresses that such attacks undermine African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence, and require urgent collective attention.
“It is on this note that Nigeria calls on this august Assembly to place the matter on the agenda of the upcoming 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, scheduled for January 2027, for consideration and appropriate action,” he declared.
The Nigerian government has maintained that South Africa has the right to enforce its immigration laws.
However, it has insisted that immigration enforcement must be carried out within the limits of human rights and without subjecting African nationals to violence or degrading treatment.
Nigeria wants African leaders to work together against xenophobia and Afrophobia rather than allow attacks on foreign nationals to become recurring crises.
The government believes dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action are necessary to prevent the situation from worsening and to protect the principle of African solidarity.
Recall in May, President Tinubu directed Nigerian missions in South Africa to establish a crisis notification unit for Nigerians affected by xenophobic attacks.
The measure was designed to improve communication and provide assistance to citizens facing threats.
In July, Nigeria again raised the issue at the ECOWAS level, with Tinubu calling for a united African response to Afrophobic attacks in South Africa.
At the time, the President disclosed that Nigeria had evacuated more than 1,490 citizens from danger in seven batches.