Nigeria has formally brought concerns over repeated xenophobic and Afrophobic violence targeting Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa before the African Union (AU), urging the continental body to take decisive action.
The issue was raised on behalf of President Bola Tinubu by Vice President Kashim Shettima during the 21st Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Luanda, Angola, on August 30, 2026.
President Tinubu urged African heads of state and government to include the matter on the programme for the AU’s 40th Ordinary Session, which is expected to take place in January 2027.
He said Nigeria respected South Africa’s authority to regulate immigration and recognised the country’s contribution to Africa’s development.
However, he maintained that hostility directed at foreign Africans posed a threat to continental cohesion and peaceful relations.
“Such attacks undermine African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence,” the Nigerian president said, describing the situation as one requiring immediate attention from the continent’s leadership.
Nigeria’s appeal comes three months after Ghana took a similar diplomatic step over the treatment of African nationals in South Africa.
In May 2026, Ghana submitted a formal petition to the AU through Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.
In a communication dated May 6, the minister requested that the matter be considered at the AU summit scheduled for June.
Accra also recommended that the continental organisation establish a fact-finding team to examine the underlying causes of the violence and propose measures to address it.
Ghana further advocated enhanced AU oversight, sustained engagement and reconciliation programmes aimed at encouraging tolerance and reinforcing the principles of Pan-Africanism.
The renewed diplomatic interventions have followed growing anxiety over the safety of African migrants and other foreign residents in South Africa amid reports of xenophobic incidents.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously acknowledged the concerns and described xenophobic violence as a matter of profound embarrassment for his country.
With Nigeria now joining Ghana in seeking continental intervention, pressure is mounting for the AU to adopt a coordinated response to xenophobia and Afrophobia.
President Tinubu called for greater use of dialogue, preventive diplomacy and joint continental initiatives to tackle the problem and strengthen peaceful relations among African countries.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong