President Bola Tinubu on Monday declined to receive a delegation from Cyril Ramaphosa, South African President, over the ongoing xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
He directed the visiting team to instead hold talks with Sola Enikanolaiye, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
The decision came amid mounting diplomatic tensions between Africa’s two largest economies following renewed attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa that have triggered the evacuation of hundreds of Nigerians back home.
A source in the Presidency confirmed that the South African delegation, led by Ronald Lamola, the country’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, had arrived in Abuja on Friday seeking an audience with Tinubu to deliver a message from Ramaphosa.
However, rather than meeting the delegation personally, Tinubu instructed that discussions be held with Enikanolaiye, who was appointed Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in June 2026 following the elevation of Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu to substantive Minister of Foreign Affairs.
According to the source, the delegation arrived without prior notice but was informed that the President would consider their request.
“They actually came here on Friday wanting to see the President. But there was no prior notice. We couldn’t just allow them to see the President without first seeking his approval.
“We sought his permission, and initially they were told to return on Monday. But when Monday came, the President directed that they should instead meet with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Enikanolaiye, who would brief him on the outcome of the discussions”, the source said.
The official also confirmed that Tinubu would not be meeting the delegation.
“I just confirmed it. He is not seeing them. The meeting is not happening,” the source said.
The source added that no meeting with the South African delegation appeared on the President’s official schedule.
The delegation reportedly remained in Abuja throughout the weekend after arriving on July 24.
The source further disclosed that Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is attending official engagements in Addis Ababa, had advised against the President personally receiving the South African delegation while attacks on Nigerians and their businesses were still ongoing.
Receiving the delegation on behalf of the President, Enikanolaiye said Tinubu had directed him to engage the South African envoys in discussions aimed at resolving the crisis while preserving the longstanding bilateral relationship between both countries.
“It is with profound pleasure that I welcome our brothers from South Africa. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had actually asked us to meet with you and exchange views and perspectives on how to address and resolve the ongoing Afrophobic attacks in South Africa, of which Nigerians, and other citizens of Africa, have been victims,” he said.
The minister lamented what he described as a persistent pattern of attacks against Nigerians stretching back more than three decades.
“We have seen a pattern emerge as early as 1995, 1998, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024 and 2026. It is on record that from 2022 alone, 98 Nigerians have died in mob actions, in hate-related actions that we have called Afrophobia, because we found that the preponderant victims of this ugly situation are Africans and Nigerians in particular,” he stated.
Enikanolaiye recalled Nigeria’s historic support for South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle, describing the recurring violence as inconsistent with the relationship both countries had built over the years.
He stressed that while Nigeria does not condone criminality, individuals accused of crimes should be subjected to due process rather than mob justice.
“The Nigerian government will not support drug peddlers, but what we’re saying is that treat them in accordance with your constitution, in accordance with international human rights instruments and the minimum requirement of humanity,” he said.
According to him, many of the victims were law-abiding Nigerians legally resident in South Africa.
“We have records of Nigerians who have a legitimate purpose to remain in South Africa, yet they have been attacked.
“We could see some mob actions where the police were watching as if they were helpless to address the situation, which raises issues of state responsibility and possible complicity if authorities are unable or unwilling to tackle these challenges,” he added.
The minister also recounted the humanitarian impact of previous waves of violence, recalling the evacuation of nearly 1,500 Nigerians from South Africa.
“The last batch of evacuees we moved from there, we had almost 1,500 of our nationals. It was not a pleasant experience.
“I shed tears in the plane when I saw children, women and the elderly returning home almost with nothing. Some of them had their properties looted and destroyed,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the South African government, Lamola said Ramaphosa had sent him as a special envoy to reaffirm Pretoria’s opposition to xenophobia, racism and all forms of discrimination.
“We have been outspoken against any intolerance, including xenophobia, racism, homophobia, violence and discrimination directed at individuals within our borders,” Lamola said.
He, however, maintained that South Africa would continue enforcing its immigration laws and tackling criminal activities.
“President Ramaphosa has also been very firm on South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce immigration laws, including dealing decisively with irregular migration, undocumented immigrants and acts of criminality that are sometimes committed within our borders,” he stated.
Lamola said migration remained a continental challenge requiring collective solutions, adding that Nigeria and South Africa shared a responsibility to address the issue through cooperation.
“We believe that Nigeria and South Africa have a shared responsibility to respond to these challenges within the African continent. Migration remains a huge challenge that all of us have to work together to address,” he said.
He expressed optimism that the Abuja engagement would strengthen bilateral relations and create a pathway for resolving the current tensions through sustained diplomatic dialogue.
Relations between Nigeria and South Africa have deteriorated significantly following a fresh wave of xenophobic violence that erupted across several South African provinces in April 2026.
The attacks prompted President Tinubu to approve five Air Peace evacuation flights after more than 1,000 Nigerians registered for voluntary repatriation.
The Nigerian government has also warned that retaliatory diplomatic measures remain under consideration.
