According to Premium Times reporting, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally reported recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Nigerian nationals and other African migrants in South Africa to the African Union Assembly. The formal intervention, delivered during the AU Summit in Luanda, called on the continental body to place the issue permanently on the agenda of the upcoming 40th Ordinary Session in January 2027.
Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Nigerian delegation warned that persistent violent hostility against intra-African migrants directly contradicts the principles of continental integration, free movement, and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Nigeria urged the AU to deploy preventive diplomacy and binding frameworks to protect foreign nationals.
Corroborating international reporting confirms the elevated diplomatic push. A published report by Vanguard noted that “Tinubu drags South Africa to AU” over recurring xenophobia, emphasizing that intra-continental solidarity requires reciprocal protections. Additionally, reporting by Leadership quoted Vice President Kashim Shettima’s address: “While recognising South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws, Nigeria stresses that such attacks undermine African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence.”
Echotitbits take:
Nigeria’s formal petition to the African Union escalates diplomatic pressure on South African authorities to curb anti-immigrant sentiment and enforce rule-of-law protections. As AfCFTA implementation accelerates, unresolved xenophobic tensions pose a threat to regional trade integration and bilateral economic ties. Expect heightened diplomatic exchanges and bilateral joint commission meetings ahead of the 2027 AU summit.
Source: Premium Times – https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/906338-xenophobia-nigeria-urges-au-to-take-stronger-action-against-south-africa.html, August 30, 2026
Photo credit: BBC
