The Federal Government has begun moves to secure compensation for Nigerians who suffered losses during recent attacks in South Africa, while intensifying diplomatic efforts to prevent further violence against citizens.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Sola Enikanolaiye, disclosed this on Tuesday after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on engagements with South African authorities following the attacks.
Enikanolaiye said the briefing was part of Tinubu’s directive to receive South Africa’s Special Envoy and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ronald Lamola, during which both countries discussed measures to address the situation and strengthen bilateral relations.
He said Nigeria had secured commitments from South Africa, including the activation of an early warning mechanism and the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission, as part of efforts to prevent future incidents.
The minister also informed the President about the evacuation of about 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa following the attacks, noting that some evacuation exercises were supported by private individuals.
“I thanked him for making the resources available. I also told him that two of the evacuation batches were funded by private individuals,” he said.
Enikanolaiye added that while many Nigerians had been successfully evacuated, some citizens still wished to return home, prompting the government to explore additional funding options to support further evacuations.
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He said President Tinubu agreed that the attacks should be viewed as “Afrophobic” rather than simply xenophobic, stressing the need for African countries to work together to address growing hostility against Africans on the continent.
“The President agreed with me that it is Afrophobic and that Africa must unite in ensuring that we put an end to this spiral of violence,” he said.
On compensation, the minister said the government had introduced a data collection process to document Nigerians who lost businesses and properties during the attacks.
“We have designed a form to be filled by all Nigerians who may have lost property in South Africa. We want to proceed on the basis of data and the quantum of losses they have suffered before tabling our claims,” he said.
He explained that Nigeria would continue diplomatic negotiations with South Africa but would consider other options if discussions failed to produce a satisfactory resolution.
“Nigeria has options. We are not helpless in this situation. We would prefer diplomacy and negotiations until we arrive at a mutually acceptable outcome,” he said.
Enikanolaiye further stressed that all Nigerians, regardless of their immigration status, were entitled to protection under the law.
“Whether they are regular or irregular, they are human beings. Criminals also have a right to life. You cannot hound and kill them because they are criminals,” he said.
