Nigeria’s diaspora commission has demanded urgent action from the South African government to safeguard Nigerians and other African migrants as anti-immigrant violence continues to spread across the country.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), in a statement by its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the crisis was worsening despite diplomatic exchanges between both governments aimed at cooling tensions.
The commission said reports reaching it painted a grim picture — Nigerian children too frightened to go to school and business owners forced to pull down their shutters for fear of being looted, attacked, or harassed
NiDCOM condemned what it described as the collective targeting of Nigerians based on nationality, calling it dangerous and unacceptable. It demanded that South African authorities deploy more security personnel to affected areas, prosecute those responsible for the attacks, and set up a joint Nigeria-South Africa community safety body to manage tensions going forward.
The commission also called on Pretoria to take a firm public stance against xenophobia and ensure that official messaging did not fuel discrimination against foreign nationals.
Violence has already swept through East London, Cape Town, Durban, and KwaZulu-Natal, leaving behind looted shops, damaged property, and injured residents. Further protests targeting immigrants were planned across Gauteng Province between April 27 and 29.
NiDCOM urged Nigerians in South Africa to stay out of harm’s way, obey local laws, and avoid any confrontation with protesters or demonstration groups.
The commission said it was working closely with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, the Consulate General in Johannesburg and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to coordinate the safety of citizens on the ground.
At the diplomatic level, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, is in active discussions with her South African counterpart to seek a resolution to the crisis.
NiDCOM called for calm on all sides, reaffirming its belief in the historical bonds between Nigeria and South Africa and the shared responsibility to protect human life.