Your Excellency,

The recent escalation of targeted violence against Nigerians residing in the Republic of South Africa presents not merely a humanitarian concern, but a direct test of Nigeria’s constitutional and moral obligation to protect its citizens beyond its borders.

What is unfolding is neither new nor isolated. It is a recurring pattern documented, predictable, and increasingly emboldened by the absence of decisive and sustained consequences. Nigerians in South Africa today face an environment defined by fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability. Businesses are threatened, livelihoods disrupted, and lives placed at risk in cycles that repeat with disturbing regularity.

This situation, Your Excellency, has moved beyond episodic xenophobic outbursts. It now reflects a structural failure of protection - one that requires a structured and immediate state response.

Nigeria cannot afford to respond in fragments to a recurring crisis.

At its core, this is a question of state capacity and credibility. When Nigerian citizens are persistently exposed to violence abroad without visible and effective protection, it sends a troubling signal, not only to those affected, but to the broader international community; about the reach and resolve of the Nigerian state.

It is therefore imperative that this matter be addressed with urgency, clarity, and measurable action.

To this end, I respectfully propose the following:

Immediate Diplomatic Engagement:

Initiate high-level bilateral discussions with the South African government, with clearly defined timelines and outcomes focused on the protection of Nigerian nationals.

Protection Framework:

Establish a joint Nigeria/South Africa mechanism for the protection of citizens, including rapid response protocols in identified hotspots.

Accountability Measures:

Insist on the identification, arrest, and prosecution of perpetrators involved in recent and past attacks, ensuring that impunity is not allowed to persist.

Consular Strengthening:

Reinforce Nigeria’s diplomatic and consular presence to provide real-time support, coordination, and communication with affected Nigerians.

Periodic Public Briefings:

Provide transparent updates to Nigerians on actions taken, progress achieved, and further steps being pursued.

Your Excellency, this is not a call for confrontation, but for responsibility. The protection of citizens, whether within or beyond national borders; remains one of the most fundamental obligations of any government.

The recurrence of these incidents suggests that prior engagements, while well-intentioned, have not sufficiently altered the conditions that enable such violence. A more deliberate, sustained, and accountable approach is now required.

Nigeria and South Africa share deep historical ties, rooted in solidarity and mutual support during difficult periods in our continent’s history. It is precisely because of this relationship that the current situation demands careful but firm intervention one that preserves diplomatic relations while safeguarding human dignity.

The lives and livelihoods of Nigerians abroad must not be left to cycles of reaction and silence.

A nation’s strength is not only measured by its internal order, but by its willingness and ability to stand for its citizens wherever they may be.

This moment calls for that resolve.

e-signed

Lanre Ogundipe

Former President Nigeria and Africa Union of Journalists

Cc: The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs

The President of the Senate

The Speaker, House of Representatives

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