Nigeria suspends official visits to South Africa over anti-migrant violence

The decision was announced on Friday, September 11, 2026, following consultations between the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives.

The directive covers lawmakers, parliamentary committees, officials and staff of the National Assembly and will remain in force until further notice.

The National Assembly said the move followed reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon businesses, homes, investments and other property in South Africa.

"The National Assembly has resolved to suspend all official visits to the Republic of South Africa and to boycott South African-hosted or South African-organised legislative activities and engagements until further notice,” Clerk to the National Assembly Kamoru Ogunlana said in the communication.

The boycott applies to physical and virtual engagements, including conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, parliamentary exchanges and other activities organised, hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored by South African legislative institutions.

Any official delegation, committee, lawmaker or staff member seeking to take part in such an engagement will require the express approval of the leadership of the National Assembly.

The parliamentary action marks a further escalation in Nigeria’s response to xenophobic attacks in South Africa.

Nigeria’s federal government has already evacuated Nigerians from South Africa following the latest wave of attacks and security concerns. By July, the government said 1,490 Nigerians had been evacuated through a series of flights coordinated with Nigerian and South African authorities.

The government also condemned the killings of two Nigerian nationals in South Africa in June.

Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Emeka Charles Iroegbu was reportedly killed by Tshwane Metro Police officers in Pretoria on June 28, while Musa Yunana Joe, known as Big Joe, was killed outside his shop in Witbank on the same day. The ministry called for investigations and prosecution of those responsible.

The National Assembly said it was concerned that such incidents had continued despite repeated appeals by the Nigerian government and other stakeholders for South African authorities to protect Nigerians and other foreign nationals.

The House had already moved to investigate xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in July, including casualties, property losses and abandoned assets.

The latest decision therefore moves beyond condemnation and investigation to a direct restriction on parliamentary cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa.

The dispute has also moved to the continental level.

President Bola Tinubu recently raised the issue of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa at the African Union, calling for collective action by African countries.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented Tinubu at an AU meeting in Luanda, Angola, said Nigeria wanted the matter placed on the agenda of the AU Assembly scheduled for January 2027.

“Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa,” Shettima said.

He later said Nigeria would continue engaging South Africa through dialogue but would not accept the mistreatment of Nigerians.

Nigeria has stressed that its response is not aimed at ending diplomatic relations with South Africa.

The National Assembly said its suspension of parliamentary engagements does not undermine the longstanding historical and people-to-people relationship between the two countries.