Xenophobia: Nigeria Will Weigh Options On South African Firms – FG

Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima

The Federal Government has hinted at possible measures against South African companies operating in Nigeria, including telecommunications giant MTN. This comes as outrage grows over the continued harassment and attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa.

Addressing concerns over the worsening anti-migrant attacks in South Africa and the evacuation of Nigerians from the country, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, noted that Nigeria might be compelled to explore other options if the attacks persist.

Bianca, however, stressed that any retaliatory measures would have to follow constitutional provisions and due legislative process.

Her words, “As I indicated before, there are these huge conglomerates. By the way, there are over 120 South African companies operating in Nigeria.

Nobody is asking them to provide proof of identity. Nobody is asking South African staff working there whether they are South Africans or Nigerians, and nobody is taking over their shops or businesses.

But this is happening to Nigerians in South Africa. So, I think that at some point, we really have to review the options available to us.

We have MTN, MultiChoice, Stanbic, Protea and many other South African brands spanning multiple sectors.

When it comes to situations like this, of course, it is necessary to be temperate and exercise caution. But when your citizens are being harassed, when your citizens are people who have spent years there, and mind you, some of them are married to South Africans and have children who have known no other home but South Africa, then it becomes a serious concern.

Now, under these circumstances, they are asking not just Nigerians, but also their South African spouses and their children, to leave South Africa.”

WOW.