Nigeria is considering retaliatory measures against South Africa following a fresh wave of xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerian nationals, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said on Monday.
Speaking with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the government was also finalising arrangements to evacuate citizens who had expressed interest in returning home.
The first repatriation flight, earlier scheduled to depart on Monday, was delayed due to documentation and screening processes being conducted in coordination with South African authorities. Screening of over 1,000 Nigerians began last Thursday and was expected to conclude by Saturday.
When asked whether Nigeria could respond by restricting privileges currently enjoyed by South African nationals and interests in Nigeria, the minister said the option remained on the table.
“That is a situation that we are considering. This is up to our legislature — a decision that has to be taken at the highest level of government. But it’s not off the table,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the attacks had been received with deep frustration in Nigeria, particularly given the country’s contribution to South Africa’s liberation from apartheid.
“Nigeria has sacrificed much for the South African struggle for independence — funds, resources, and more. In schools, seats were reserved for South African students. My own generation carried placards and demonstrated in front of South African assets. Sometimes we even got arrested for doing this,” she said.
The minister described Nigeria as a frontline state in that struggle and said its citizens deserved better treatment. She also noted that the attacks appeared to be racially selective.
“They are not asking other migrants to leave; they’re only asking black migrants to leave,” she said.
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