Nigeria’s National Assembly has suspended official travel by lawmakers to South Africa and ordered them to boycott legislative events hosted by the country over continuing reports of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals.
Nigeria bans lawmakers from travelling to South Africa as attacks on Nigerians escalate
- Nigeria’s National Assembly has suspended all official travel and participation in South African legislative events due to ongoing xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals.
- The decision, which was announced just before the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town, concerns both physical and virtual engagements with South African institutions.
- This suspension is a direct response to violence, intimidation, and destruction of property targeting Nigerians in South Africa, but is not meant to harm diplomatic ties between the countries.
- So far in 2023, Nigeria has evacuated 1,695 of its citizens from South Africa amidst these threats, with most assisted by the government and some by private individuals.
Kamoru Ogunlana, Clerk to the National Assembly, announced the decision in a statement dated September 10, saying the leadership was concerned by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon their businesses, homes, investments and other properties.
The suspension covers physical and virtual engagements, including parliamentary meetings, programmes, exchanges and other legislative activities hosted by South African institutions.
The decision comes just days before the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, scheduled to take place in Cape Town from September 13 to 19.
DON’T MISS THIS:Lobito Corridor could double cargo to 800,000 tons after $300 million boost as US pushes for Africa’s critical minerals
The National Assembly said the move was in response to “continuing reports of xenophobic attacks, violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other forms of hostility against Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.”
It stressed that the suspension was not intended to damage Nigeria’s longstanding diplomatic and people-to-people ties with South Africa.
Rather, it is a strong expression of concern over the safety, dignity and welfare of Nigerians living and conducting legitimate businesses in South Africa.
Nigeria has evacuated 1,695 citizens from South Africa this year amid threats against foreign nationals Ambassador Ajayi Alexander
The figure includes 1,490 Nigerians repatriated through government-sponsored arrangements and 205 who returned with support from private individuals.
DON’T MISS THIS:Meet the friends who left two of the world’s biggest chemical companies to build one in Africa—raising nearly $3 million and growing 1,400% in four years
The decision comes amid a separate dispute over the cost of repatriating foreign nationals.
South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs says it has spent almost R300 million, or about $18.5 million, on repatriation operations involving tens of thousands of foreign nationals.
Nigeria and Ghana have disputed Pretoria’s attempt to recover the costs, adding another point of tension between South Africa and some of its African neighbours.
