Members of Nigeria’s National Assembly have resolved to suspend official visits to South Africa and boycott legislative seminars, conferences and other activities organised or hosted by the South African parliament.
Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
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Mr Ogunlana, a lawyer, said the decision was prompted by the continuous xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in South Africa, which have resulted in the deaths and injuries of several Nigerian citizens.
He said the attacks had continued despite interventions by the Nigerian government and resolutions by the National Assembly.
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“The Leadership is particularly concerned by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon their businesses, investments, homes and other properties as a result of recurring violent attacks.
“The Leadership notes with concern that, despite repeated appeals by the Federal Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders to the South African authorities to take decisive measures to protect Nigerians and other foreign nationals and bring perpetrators of xenophobic violence to justice, reports of such incidents have continued to emerge,” he said.
The Clerk said the Nigerian government and the National Assembly are concerned about the continued attacks on Nigerians and their businesses in South Africa.
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“The Leadership also acknowledges the intervention of the Federal Government of Nigeria and other stakeholders, including efforts to assist affected Nigerians and facilitate the evacuation of Nigerian nationals from South Africa.
“In view of these developments and following consultations between the Leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the National Assembly has resolved to suspend all official visits to the Republic of South Africa and to boycott South African-hosted or South African-organised legislative activities and engagements until further notice.
“The resolution covers official visits to South Africa by the National Assembly, its Committees, lawmakers, officials and staff; participation in conferences, seminars, workshops, parliamentary meetings, legislative exchanges and other activities organised or hosted by South African legislative authorities; physical participation in South African-hosted legislative programmes; and participation in such programmes through virtual or online platforms,” the statement said.
National Assembly’s previous responses
The National Assembly’s latest decision is not the first time Nigerian lawmakers have taken a strong position against xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
In May, the Senate condemned the attacks and resolved to send a delegation comprising members of both chambers of the National Assembly to South Africa to engage with the South African government and parliament on the safety of Nigerians.
The proposed delegation was to be led by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio. The Senate also called for measures to protect Nigerians and sought greater diplomatic intervention to end the attacks. However, it is unclear whether the proposed delegation eventually travelled to South Africa, as there are no publicly available records confirming the visit.
During the May debate, Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North) called for stronger economic retaliation against South Africa, arguing that Nigeria should consider revoking the operating licences of South African companies doing business in the country.
He specifically mentioned telecommunications giant MTN and the operator of DStv, MultiChoice, and argued that Nigerians could take over the economic opportunities created by the companies.
The Senate, however, did not adopt his proposal. Mr Akpabio said the National Assembly would not support measures targeting South African businesses and instead favoured diplomatic engagement, including discussions with the South African parliament and government.
In July, the issue resurfaced when Wasiu Eshinlokun (APC, Lagos Central) proposed that South African businesses operating in Nigeria should be nationalised and their proceeds used to compensate Nigerians who suffered losses in the xenophobic attacks.
He mentioned MTN and DStv during the debate and sought to have the proposal included among the Senate’s resolutions.
The proposal was rejected. Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who presided over the sitting, ruled that the proposal fell outside the scope of the motion and directed the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs to investigate the matter and report back. The Senate subsequently adopted the original resolutions without the nationalisation proposal.
The debate re-echoed the National Assembly’s reaction to the 2019 xenophobic attacks, when lawmakers and other political leaders also called for retaliatory measures against South African businesses in Nigeria. Then Senate Whip at the time, Orji Kalu, for instance, called for the closure of South African businesses, including MTN, DStv and Shoprite, if the South African government failed to protect Nigerians.
The latest xenophobic crisis has also triggered the largest recent government-supported evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa.
The Nigerian government completed the voluntary evacuation of 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa in July, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The final evacuation flight brought 305 Nigerians from Johannesburg to Nigeria.
The first batch arrived in Lagos in June, with 262 Nigerians and three Nigerian government officials on board. At the time, the government said more than 1,000 Nigerians had registered for voluntary repatriation because of concerns over their safety.
Some of the returnees said they had experienced difficulties renewing their South African residence permits, while others referenced fears arising from anti-immigrant protests and attacks. South African authorities, however, said some of those returned were undocumented migrants, highlighting the different positions of the two governments on the status of some of the returnees.
By July, Nigeria said approximately 1,490 citizens had been repatriated following the unrest. During bilateral discussions later that month, Nigerian officials said the government was also compiling claims for compensation over property losses suffered by Nigerians in South Africa.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, subsequently said at least 98 Nigerians had been killed in xenophobic attacks in South Africa since 2022, showing the Nigerian government’s argument that the latest violence is part of a recurring pattern rather than an isolated incident.
The decision to boycott is not intended to undermine diplomatic relations
Mr Ogunlana, the clerk to the National Assembly, said the decision was not intended to undermine the existing diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa but was an expression of concern over the safety and welfare of Nigerians in the country.
“The Leadership has accordingly directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to issue the necessary communication to all Distinguished Senators, Honourable Members of the House of Representatives, Committees, departments, directorates, officials and staff to ensure strict compliance with the resolution.
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“The Leadership emphasises that the decision is not intended to undermine the longstanding historical, diplomatic and people-to-people relations between Nigeria and 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,” he added.
The National Assembly called on the South African government to take immediate measures to protect Nigerians in the country and ensure that perpetrators of xenophobic attacks are brought to justice.
“The Leadership calls on the Government of the Republic of South Africa to take urgent and concrete measures to protect Nigerians and other African nationals within its territory, prevent further xenophobic attacks, investigate reported incidents thoroughly, arrest suspected perpetrators and ensure that those found culpable are prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he said.
National Assembly urges state assemblies to follow suit
The Clerk also urged state Houses of Assembly across the country to consider adopting a similar position by boycotting legislative events organised or hosted by the South African parliament.
Mr Ogunlana said the National Assembly would continue to monitor developments concerning the safety and welfare of Nigerians in South Africa.
“The Leadership of the National Assembly enjoins the Leadership of the State Houses of Assembly to take note of this decision and may consider taking a similar decision.
“The Leadership reaffirms the commitment of the National Assembly to the protection of Nigerian citizens abroad and will continue to monitor developments concerning the safety and welfare of Nigerians in South Africa. The suspension and boycott shall remain in force until further notice, subject to review by the Leadership of the National Assembly as circumstances warrant,” he said.
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