Nigeria, South Africa diplomatic ties near rock bottom

by OKORO CHINEDU
LAGOS, (CAJ News) — DIPLOMATIC ties between Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic and political powerhouses, Nigeria and South Africa, are at their lowest point in 30 years, a development that does not bode well for the continent and its global image.

The tensions escalated this past weekend amid ongoing anti-migrant protests in South Africa, culminating in Nigeria placing the country “on notice” if the targeting of its citizens continues.

Tensions arose from the Nigerian side this past weekend as the West African government condemned the alleged recent killing of two of its nationals in South Africa.

The Nigerian government also condemned recent televised comments by a South African government spokesperson, which linked Nigerians leaving the country to illegal drug activities.

President Bola Tinubu’s government has labelled the remarks as “hate speech” that incites violence.

Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mentioned the death of Emeka Charles Iroegbu, allegedly killed by Tshwane Metro Police in Pretoria on 28 June, using “gruesome interrogation techniques”, and Musa Yunana Joe, killed by unidentified criminals in Mpumalanga on the same day.

Nigeria accuses the Tshwane Metro Police of complicity in extrajudicial killings and cites a “continuing pattern” of violence against its nationals.

It also notes a separate pending case from April 2026 involving the same police unit.

“We wish to place the Government of South Africa on notice that if the situation continues to persist, all options remain on the table, some of which will be activated if the uncultured and provocative trend of intolerance and apartheid-style behaviour against foreigners is not addressed,” Ebienfa stated.

While the spokesperson was not explicit, there has been growing pressure from some activists on the government to retaliate against South Africa by targeting the latter’s blue-chip companies operating in Nigeria.

The activists are calling for tit-for-tat measures and demanding that South African nationals in Nigeria also leave the country.

There are currently more than 100 South African companies doing business in Nigeria, spanning multiple sectors including telecommunications, banking, retail and hospitality.

Some of these, including MTN Group, Shoprite and Standard Bank, are among the biggest on the continent, largely due to their operations in Nigeria, where the country’s population — estimated at over 242 million people — makes it a lucrative market in terms of clientele.

Nonetheless, Nigeria said it continues to seek a resolution through dialogue and diplomatic engagement, highlighting that South African nationals and businesses remain safe within Nigeria.

“The government calls on the general Nigerian public to remain calm and not take the law into their own hands through retaliatory actions,” Ebienfa said.

Nigeria has repatriated hundreds of its citizens in recent weeks.

The current tensions evoke memories of the mid-1990s when South Africa was emerging from decades of apartheid and Nigeria was under a military dictatorship.

Then, under the presidency of Nelson Mandela, South Africa pushed for the suspension of Nigeria, under Sani Abacha, from the Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth suspended Nigeria in 1995 following the execution of nine pro-democracy activists, including the writer Ken Saro-Wiwa. The suspension was officially lifted in 1999 when the country returned to civilian democratic rule.

In 1996, Nigeria’s military government ordered the national team to withdraw from the Africa Cup of Nations hosted in South Africa.

“The current tension is unique due to the direct focus on physical safety, ‘Afrophobia’, and the perceived targeting of the Nigerian community by state actors,” political commentator Auta Ibrahim said in an interview with CAJ News.

He said the diplomatic rift has profound implications for both the African continent and its global image.

The rivalry and friction, the analyst said, create several key impacts, including weakened continental leadership, erosion of soft power and solidarity, impact on investor sentiment, perception of continental fragmentation, and failure of diplomatic mechanisms.

Ibrahim said the two countries’ inability to maintain a cohesive partnership undermines their joint influence in driving continental agendas such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and regional conflict resolution.

Recurrent xenophobic incidents in South Africa, and the subsequent retaliatory rhetoric from Nigeria, underpin perceptions that South Africa is unwelcoming to other Africans. This erodes its influence on the continent and complicates its efforts to lead, as regional trust is damaged by the perceived failure to protect fellow Africans.

This diplomatic instability is seen as creating an unpredictable environment, causing investors to potentially redirect capital elsewhere to avoid regional instability.

Ibrahim said ultimately, the rivalry often leads to an “inward-looking” approach where both countries prioritise domestic political pressures over the “functional necessity” of Pan-African solidarity.

“This cycle of confrontation risks transforming the continent into an arena where external actors — rather than African leaders — shape the regional and security environment,” the expert said.

— CAJ News