President Tinubu Declines Meeting With South African Envoy Amid Xenophobic Attacks On Nigerians

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reportedly declined to personally receive a special delegation from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa over the continued xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, directing the visiting envoys to instead meet with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye.

The delegation, led by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on Friday, July 24, bearing what diplomatic sources described as an important message from President Ramaphosa.

According to multiple Presidency sources, the South African delegation sought an audience with President Tinubu shortly after arriving in Nigeria but was unable to secure an immediate meeting.

One Presidency source explained the circumstances surrounding the visit.

“They actually came here on Friday wanting to see the President. But there was no prior notice.

“And we said we can’t just allow you to see the President without first asking him if he is available. So we asked, and the President said they could come on Monday.

“But when Monday came, he simply said they should go and meet the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Enikanolaiye, and whatever they discuss, the minister would come and brief him.”

The delegation reportedly remained in Abuja throughout the weekend before holding discussions with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs as directed by the President.

The diplomatic development comes amid renewed tensions between Nigeria and South Africa following reports of persistent xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals residing in South Africa.

The latest incident involved the reported killing of a Nigerian, Chika Ibe, who was allegedly taken from his residence in Bellville, Cape Town, and tortured to death by members of the South African Police Service (SAPS), an incident that has further heightened concerns over the safety of Nigerians in the country.

At the recent ECOWAS Summit in Sierra Leone, Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Tinubu, condemned the attacks and assured that Nigeria would pursue stronger African Union measures to combat xenophobia and improve the protection of African citizens across the continent.

Presidency sources also disclosed that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who is currently attending official engagements in Addis Ababa, advised that it would not be appropriate for President Tinubu to receive the South African delegation while attacks on Nigerians and their businesses were still ongoing.

According to the sources, Nigeria is insisting that South Africa should first ratify and present the signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Early Warning Mechanism (EWM), which both countries signed in October 2025, before further high-level diplomatic engagement.

The agreement is designed to strengthen cooperation on the protection of citizens, prevent xenophobic violence, improve consular collaboration, and facilitate compensation claims for victims of previous attacks.