Nigeria has announced plans to facilitate the voluntary return of its citizens living in South Africa amid growing concerns over renewed anti-immigrant violence targeting African nationals.
The announcement comes as South Africa continues to grapple with periodic waves of xenophobic attacks and protests, with recent incidents reportedly targeting foreign nationals and their businesses.
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said 130 citizens have already expressed interest in returning home, with officials warning that the number could increase.
Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu said in a social media statement that “Nigerian lives and businesses in South Africa must not continue to be put at risk.”
She also alleged that at least two Nigerians, Amamiro Chidiebere Emmanuel and Nnaemeka Matthew Andrew, died in separate incidents involving South African security personnel last month.
Diplomatic discussions are expected to continue, with South Africa’s acting high commissioner in Abuja scheduled to meet Nigerian officials to address what has been described as “documented instances of mistreatment” of Nigerian nationals and attacks on their businesses.
According to Nigeria’s foreign ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the talks will focus on concerns raised over the safety of Nigerian citizens in South Africa.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further claimed that xenophobic tensions in South Africa tend to intensify in the run-up to elections, with anti-immigrant sentiment allegedly being exploited for political gain ahead of municipal polls scheduled for November 4.
In response, South Africa’s acting police minister Firoz Cachalia has condemned violence against foreign nationals, describing such acts as unlawful and inconsistent with constitutional values.
“Acts of xenophobia, violence, looting or intimidation will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” Cachalia said.
According to national statistics, approximately three million foreign nationals live in South Africa, representing about 5.1% of the population. More than 63% originate from countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.