President Bola Tinubu has urged African leaders to jointly condemn the ongoing attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa, warning that silence would only encourage intolerance across the continent.
The President made the call through Vice President Kashim Shettima during the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government held on Sunday in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
The development was disclosed in a statement posted on the official social media page of Vice President Shettima.
The renewed condemnation follows recent attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa, incidents that have repeatedly strained diplomatic relations between both countries and prompted previous evacuation exercises by the Nigerian government.
According to the statement, Tinubu said a unified condemnation by African countries would send a strong message that xenophobic attacks, also described as Afrophobic attacks, have no place anywhere on the continent.
“Nigeria condemns, in the strongest terms, the recent attacks on its citizens and other Africans in the Republic of South Africa.
“As already stated by His Excellency, the President of Ghana, ECOWAS should present a united voice in this condemnation and table the matter before the next session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the African Union,” Tinubu said through Shettima.
The President disclosed that the Federal Government has already evacuated more than 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa in seven separate batches following the attacks and remains prepared to take additional measures if necessary.
According to him, Nigeria will continue to protect its citizens while engaging diplomatically with the South African authorities over the recurring attacks.
Beyond the security concerns, Tinubu also reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for the newly developed ECOWAS Compact for the Future of Regional Integration, describing it as a framework that would strengthen cooperation among member states.
He said the compact reflects the region’s commitment to rebuilding public trust in institutions and ensuring that regional integration remains relevant despite emerging geopolitical challenges.
Tinubu pushes ECOWAS to confront South Africa over attacks on Nigerians