Nigeria has taken the growing concerns over xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans in South Africa to the African Union, demanding collective action to protect Africans living across the continent.
The issue was raised by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented Nigeria at the African Union Extraordinary Session in Luanda, Angola.
Nigeria is seeking to have the matter formally placed on the agenda of the AU Assembly’s January 2027 session, putting pressure on African leaders to move beyond diplomatic statements and consider concrete measures to address attacks against African nationals in South Africa.
The move has opened another sensitive chapter in relations between Nigeria and South Africa, two of Africa’s most influential countries.
For Nigeria, the issue is not simply about immigration or the enforcement of immigration laws. It is about the safety, dignity and protection of Nigerians and other Africans who live, work and conduct businesses in South Africa.
Nigeria’s position is that Africans should not become targets of violence simply because they come from another African country.
The latest diplomatic move follows concerns over recurring incidents of attacks directed at foreigners in South Africa, with Nigerian nationals among those affected.
Vice President Shettima, speaking on behalf of President Tinubu, warned that xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks threaten African unity, solidarity and peaceful coexistence.
Nigeria is now asking the continental organisation to take a more active role in addressing the problem.
But the difficult question is whether the African Union will be able to turn Nigeria’s appeal into practical action.
The issue is particularly sensitive because South Africa has consistently resisted attempts to portray the country as uniquely responsible for anti-foreigner violence.
South African authorities have maintained that the country is committed to protecting the rights of foreign nationals while also insisting that its immigration laws must be respected.
South Africa has also argued that migration is a broader African problem and should not be treated as an issue involving only one country.
That position could make the coming AU discussions politically difficult.
Nigeria, however, appears determined to keep the matter on the continental agenda.
Ghana has previously raised similar concerns at the African Union and called for stronger attention to attacks against African nationals in South Africa.
The development means Nigeria is not alone in demanding that the AU address the issue.
For years, relations between Nigeria and South Africa have been complicated by economic competition, migration issues and periodic diplomatic disagreements.
At the same time, the two countries remain major economic and political powers whose cooperation is important to the stability of the continent.
Nigeria therefore faces a delicate diplomatic balancing act.
The government must protect Nigerians in South Africa and demand accountability where citizens are attacked, while avoiding actions that could unnecessarily damage relations between Abuja and Pretoria.
Nigeria has also taken steps to protect its citizens directly.
Following recent unrest, the Federal Government said it had completed the voluntary evacuation of 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa.
The evacuation highlights the seriousness with which the Nigerian government views the situation.
However, evacuation alone cannot provide a permanent solution.
Millions of Africans live outside their countries of birth across the continent. Nigerians live and work in South Africa, just as South Africans, Ghanaians, Kenyans, Zimbabweans and citizens of other African countries live in different parts of the continent.
A failure to address xenophobia could therefore create a dangerous precedent.
If African countries cannot guarantee the safety of fellow Africans within their borders, the principle of African integration becomes difficult to defend.
The AU now faces the responsibility of deciding what practical steps can be taken.
One possible approach is stronger monitoring of xenophobic incidents, including independent investigations into serious attacks.
Another is greater cooperation between governments on migration, employment, border control and the protection of foreign nationals.
African governments may also need to address the economic and social frustrations that sometimes fuel hostility towards migrants.
South Africa has faced serious unemployment, inequality and pressure on public services. Migrants are sometimes blamed by sections of the population for economic difficulties, even where the causes are much broader.
Addressing those underlying problems could therefore be an important part of reducing anti-foreigner sentiment.
But economic hardship cannot justify violence.
The protection of life and property remains the responsibility of every government.
For Nigeria, the AU appeal is also a test of the continent’s commitment to its own citizens.
African integration cannot be limited to speeches about unity while citizens face violence because of their nationality.
The issue is expected to receive greater attention as African leaders prepare for the AU’s January 2027 ordinary session.
By then, Nigeria will want the organisation to have moved from acknowledging the problem to discussing solutions.
The question facing African leaders is now straightforward: if an African citizen is attacked in another African country because of where he or she comes from, who should protect that citizen — and what should the rest of Africa do?
Nigeria has placed the question before the African Union.
The response from the continental body could determine whether the latest diplomatic appeal becomes another political statement or the beginning of a stronger African framework for protecting Africans across Africa.
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