Vice President Kashim Shettima has warned that Nigeria will no longer tolerate the dehumanisation, humiliation and mistreatment of its citizens in South Africa.
Shettima, while condemning recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians, said the pattern of incidents had reached a point where Nigeria could no longer remain silent.
The Vice President spoke on Monday shortly before departing Luanda, Angola, for Nigeria after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.
Speaking to journalists, Shettima said Nigeria remained committed to dialogue with South Africa but would continue to make its position clear whenever the rights and dignity of Nigerians were threatened.
The Vice President’s remarks were contained in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Stanley Nkwocha, titled “VP Shettima: Why South Africans Must Rethink Xenophobic, Afrophobic Attacks.”
Shettima said the Nigerian government and its people would no longer accept situations where Nigerians living in South Africa were subjected to degrading and unacceptable treatment.
He invoked Nigeria’s historical role in the liberation struggle in Southern Africa, stressing that the country had contributed significantly to the liberation of countries in the region.
The Vice President said Nigerians therefore felt particularly pained when their citizens were subjected to humiliation in South Africa.
He urged South Africans to remember the support Nigeria provided during the struggle for liberation and to approach relations between both countries with greater respect and understanding.
Despite his strong condemnation of the attacks, Shettima said Nigeria’s preferred approach remained dialogue rather than confrontation.
He said Nigeria was prepared to engage its South African counterparts through robust diplomatic conversations to address the recurring incidents.
According to him, Nigeria does not want to unnecessarily escalate tensions but must make it clear that certain situations are unacceptable.
Shettima urged both countries to work together to resolve the issues and preserve the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and South Africa.
He also called on South African authorities to protect lives and uphold human dignity while enforcing the country’s immigration laws.
Shettima’s comments followed Nigeria’s formal presentation of the issue at the African Union summit.
While representing President Tinubu at the summit, Nigeria reported the recurring attacks against its citizens to the African Union and requested that the matter be placed on the agenda of the 40th Ordinary Session of the AU, scheduled for January 2027.
The Nigerian government considers the recurring incidents a threat not only to Nigerians living in South Africa but also to broader African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence.
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The development comes amid longstanding concerns over xenophobic attacks and discrimination against foreign nationals in South Africa, including Nigerians.
Nigeria and South Africa maintain significant diplomatic, economic and people-to-people ties, making the protection of their citizens and the management of migration-related tensions important to relations between both countries.
Shettima’s latest warning signals the Federal Government’s determination to pursue diplomatic engagement while insisting that Nigerians abroad must be treated with dignity and protected from violence and discrimination.
