President Bola Tinubu refused to meet a South African delegation on Monday, citing the escalating wave of xenophobic violence targeting Nigerians in South Africa. Instead, he directed the visiting team to hold talks with Sola Enikanolaiye, the minister of state for foreign affairs.
The snub reflects deepening diplomatic friction between Nigeria and South Africa following fresh attacks on Nigerians and other continental citizens, prompting the evacuation of hundreds of Nigerians. Ronald Lamola, South Africa's minister of international relations and cooperation, led the delegation seeking an audience with Tinubu to deliver a message from President Cyril Ramaphosa.
A presidential source revealed that the delegation arrived in Abuja on Friday without advance notice. Officials initially asked them to return on Monday, but Tinubu ultimately rejected a direct meeting.
"They came here on Friday wanting to see the President, but there was no prior notice," the source told reporters. "We sought his permission, and they were asked to return Monday."
When Monday arrived, however, Tinubu instructed that Enikanolaiye handle the discussions instead. The source confirmed the decision remained final.
"I just confirmed it. He is not seeing them.
The meeting is not happening," the source said.
The official added that no meeting with the South African envoys appeared anywhere on the President's schedule. The delegation waited in Abuja throughout the weekend after arriving on July 24.
According to sources, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the minister of foreign affairs, advised against Tinubu personally receiving the South Africans while attacks on Nigerian nationals and their businesses continued unchecked. Odumegwu-Ojukwu was attending engagements in Addis Ababa at the time.
Enikanolaiye received the delegation and welcomed them warmly during Monday's meeting. He said Tinubu had instructed him to engage the South African envoys on resolving the crisis while maintaining bilateral ties between both nations.
"President Bola Ahmed Tinubu asked us to meet with you and exchange views on how to address and resolve the ongoing Afrophobic attacks in South Africa, of which Nigerians and other African citizens have been victims," Enikanolaiye told them.
The minister described a troubling pattern stretching back decades. He pointed to incidents in 1995, 1998, 2006, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2024, and 2026 as evidence of recurring violence against continental Africans.
"From 2022 alone, 98 Nigerians have died in mob actions and hate-related violence that we've termed Afrophobia, because Africans and Nigerians in particular have borne the brunt of this," Enikanolaiye stated.
