President Bola Tinubu on Monday declined to personally receive a special delegation sent by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians, directing the team to meet instead with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye.
The delegation, led by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on July 24 seeking an audience with Tinubu.
Presidency sources confirmed that while an initial meeting was considered, the President later instructed that discussions be handled at ministerial level.
The move comes as tensions rise between both countries following violent attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa, which have forced the evacuation of hundreds of Nigerians.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, currently in Addis Ababa, reportedly advised that it was not the right time for Tinubu to meet the delegation directly.
Receiving the envoys, Enikanolaiye condemned the recurring violence, noting that “from 2022 alone, 98 Nigerians have died in mob actions.”
He recalled Nigeria’s support for South Africa’s liberation struggle and urged authorities to treat alleged offenders through due process rather than mob attacks.
Lamola, delivering Ramaphosa’s message, reaffirmed South Africa’s opposition to xenophobia and intolerance but stressed the country’s sovereign right to enforce immigration laws.
He called for Nigeria and South Africa to work together on migration challenges across the continent.
Relations between the two nations have deteriorated since April 2026, when fresh waves of xenophobic violence erupted in South Africa.
Nigeria responded with evacuation flights and warned of possible retaliatory measures, while lawmakers urged restrictions on South African businesses operating locally.
Lamola’s visit is seen as part of efforts to de-escalate tensions ahead of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on conflict prevention and resolution scheduled for Angola in late August.
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