Nigeria Suspends Official Parliamentary Visits to South Africa Over Xenophobic Attacks

Nigeria’s National Assembly has announced the suspension of all official parliamentary visits to South Africa in response to continued reports of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country.

The decision was announced on Friday, September 11, 2026, following consultations between the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The directive applies to lawmakers, parliamentary committees, officials and staff of the National Assembly and will remain in force until further notice.

According to the National Assembly, the decision followed reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon businesses, homes, investments and other property in South Africa.

Clerk to the National Assembly Kamoru Ogunlana said the legislature had resolved to suspend official visits to South Africa and boycott legislative activities hosted or organised by South African institutions.

The directive covers both physical and virtual engagements, including conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, parliamentary exchanges and other activities organised, hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored by South African legislative institutions.

Any Nigerian parliamentary delegation, committee, lawmaker or staff member seeking to participate in such engagements will require express approval from the leadership of the National Assembly.

Nigeria Escalates Response to Attacks

The parliamentary decision marks a further escalation in Nigeria’s response to reported xenophobic attacks involving Nigerians in South Africa.

The Federal Government has already undertaken the evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa amid heightened security concerns. By July 2026, the government said 1,490 Nigerians had been evacuated through a series of flights coordinated with Nigerian and South African authorities.

Nigeria has also condemned the deaths of two Nigerian nationals in South Africa in June.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Emeka Charles Iroegbu was reportedly killed by Tshwane Metro Police officers in Pretoria on June 28, while Musa Yunana Joe, popularly known as Big Joe, was killed outside his shop in Witbank on the same day.

The ministry called for investigations into the deaths and prosecution of those found responsible.

The National Assembly said it remained concerned that incidents targeting Nigerians and other foreign nationals had continued despite repeated appeals by the Nigerian government and other stakeholders for South African authorities to strengthen the protection of foreign nationals.

Parliament Had Already Opened Investigation

The latest directive follows action already taken by Nigeria’s House of Representatives.

In July, the House moved to investigate xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, including reported deaths, injuries, property losses and abandoned businesses and investments.

The new decision takes Nigeria’s parliamentary response a step further by directly restricting official legislative cooperation and engagements with South African institutions.

The move is expected to place additional pressure on South African authorities to address concerns surrounding the safety and protection of Nigerians living and doing business in the country.

Issue Raised at African Union

The dispute has also moved beyond bilateral relations to the continental level.

President Bola Tinubu recently raised concerns over xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa at the African Union, calling for collective action by African countries.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Tinubu at an African Union meeting in Luanda, Angola, said Nigeria wanted the issue placed on the agenda of the AU Assembly scheduled for January 2027.

Shettima said Nigeria remained concerned about recurring attacks against Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa and called for a collective continental response.

The Nigerian government has maintained that it will continue engaging South Africa through diplomatic channels while insisting that Nigerians must be protected from violence and discrimination.

Nigeria Rules Out Diplomatic Break

Despite the increasingly firm response, Nigeria has stressed that the measures are not intended to end diplomatic relations with South Africa.

The National Assembly said the suspension of parliamentary engagements should not be interpreted as a rejection of the longstanding historical, diplomatic and people-to-people relationship between the two countries.

Instead, the move is being presented as a response to the continued security concerns affecting Nigerians in South Africa and a demand for stronger measures to protect foreign nationals.

Nigeria and South Africa remain two of Africa’s largest economies and key political actors on the continent, making the dispute particularly significant for broader African diplomatic and economic relations.

For now, Nigerian lawmakers and parliamentary officials will remain barred from official legislative engagements hosted or organised by South African institutions unless the leadership of the National Assembly grants specific approval.