President Bola Tinubu declined to receive a special envoy from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians, directing the delegation to meet Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs instead
Why Tinubu Declined to Meet South Africa’s Special Envoy as Xenophobic Attacks on Nigerians Escalate
President Bola Tinubu on Monday declined to receive a special delegation sent by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over the renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, directing the visiting team to instead hold discussions with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye.
The decision came amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Africa’s two largest economies following weeks of attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa that forced the evacuation of hundreds of Nigerian citizens.
Multiple Presidency sources familiar with the development confirmed that the South African delegation, led by the country’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on Friday seeking an audience with Tinubu to deliver a message from Ramaphosa.
According to one Presidency official, the delegation had initially requested to see the President shortly after arriving in Nigeria but had not secured a prior appointment.
“They actually came here on Friday wanting to see the President. But there was no prior notice. And we said we can’t just allow you to see the President without first asking him if he is available. So we asked, and the President said they could come on Monday. But when Monday came, he simply said they should go and meet the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Enikanolaiye, and whatever they discuss, the Minister would come and brief him,” the source said.
Another Presidency source confirmed that the planned meeting with Tinubu did not take place.
“I just confirmed it. He is not seeing them. The meeting is not happening,” the official said.
A third source also disclosed that the meeting was never included on the President’s official schedule.
“We don’t have that on the schedule today,” the source stated.
The delegation reportedly remained in Abuja throughout the weekend after arriving on July 24 while awaiting a response from the Nigerian Presidency.
Sources further disclosed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is attending official engagements in Addis Ababa, had advised against a direct meeting between Tinubu and the South African delegation while attacks against Nigerians and their businesses were still ongoing.
Receiving the delegation in Abuja, Enikanolaiye said Tinubu specifically mandated him to engage the South African envoys on finding a lasting solution to the crisis, stressing that decades of cordial relations between Nigeria and South Africa should not be undermined by violence against African migrants.
“It is with profound pleasure that I welcome our brothers from South Africa. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had actually asked us to meet with you and exchange views and perspectives on how to address and resolve the ongoing Afrophobic attacks in South Africa, of which Nigerians, and other citizens of Africa, have been victims,” Enikanolaiye said.
The minister lamented what he described as a recurring cycle of attacks on Nigerians dating back several decades.
“We have seen a pattern emerge as early as 1995, 1998, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2026. It is on record that from 2022 alone, 98 Nigerians have died in mob actions, in hate-related actions that we have called Afrophobia, because we found that the preponderant victims of this ugly situation are Africans and Nigerians in particular,” he said.
Recalling Nigeria’s historic support for South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle, Enikanolaiye said the persistent violence against Nigerians runs contrary to the enduring partnership both countries have built over the years.
He stressed that while Nigeria does not condone criminality, suspected offenders should be prosecuted through established legal processes rather than subjected to mob attacks.
“If someone is, quote-unquote, a criminal for drug trafficking, there are rules, there are regulations for when they are arrested, prosecuted, and jailed. The Nigerian government will not support drug peddlers, but please, what we’re saying is that treat them in accordance with your constitution, in accordance with international human rights instruments, in accordance with the minimum requirement of humanity.
“But what we have found is that this xenophobic act has gone beyond the attack on criminals. We have records of Nigerians who have a legitimate purpose to remain in South Africa, yet they have been attacked.
“We could see some mob actions, where we saw the police watching, as if they are helpless to address this situation, which to us raises issues of state responsibility. It raises issues of complicity. If the state authorities are not able or unwilling to tackle these challenges,” he said.
Enikanolaiye described the humanitarian consequences of the attacks as heartbreaking, recalling previous evacuation operations carried out by the Nigerian government.
“The last batch of evacuees we moved from there, we had almost 1,500 of our nationals. It was not a pleasant experience. I shed tears in the plane when I saw children, women, the elderly returning home almost with nothing. Some of them, their properties have been looted. Some of them have been destroyed,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the South African government, Lamola said President Ramaphosa had sent him as a special envoy to reaffirm Pretoria’s rejection of xenophobia, racism and all forms of discrimination.
“We have been outspoken against any intolerance, including xenophobia, racism, homophobia, violence, discrimination directed at individuals within our borders,” Lamola said.
He, however, maintained that South Africa would continue to enforce its immigration laws and deal decisively with criminal activities within its territory.
“President Ramaphosa has also been very firm on South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce immigration laws, including to deal decisively with irregular migration, undocumented immigrants, including acts of criminality that is sometimes committed within our borders,” he stated.
Lamola added that irregular migration remains a continental challenge that requires stronger cooperation between African countries rather than confrontation.
“We believe that Nigeria and South Africa have a shared responsibility to respond to these challenges within the African continent of migration. Across the continent, migration remains a huge challenge that all of us have to work together to address,” he said.
He expressed optimism that continued diplomatic engagement would help both countries resolve the current tensions and preserve their longstanding bilateral relationship.
Relations between Nigeria and South Africa have deteriorated significantly following renewed xenophobic violence that erupted across several South African provinces in April 2026. The attacks prompted President Tinubu to approve multiple Air Peace evacuation flights after more than 1,000 Nigerians registered for voluntary repatriation. Nigeria has also warned that further diplomatic measures remain on the table, while the House of Representatives recommended the suspension of business permits for South African companies operating in Nigeria and the Senate dispatched a delegation to Pretoria to convey the country’s displeasure.
Diplomatic sources said Lamola’s Abuja visit formed part of President Ramaphosa’s efforts to ease tensions through direct engagement with the Nigerian government ahead of the African Union Extraordinary Summit on Conflict Prevention and Resolution scheduled to hold in Angola from August 29 to 30, 2026.
