The Federal Government says it is taking diplomatic steps to secure compensation for Nigerians who suffered losses during recent attacks in South Africa, while also working with the South African government to prevent a recurrence.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, disclosed this after briefing President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday. He explained that the government had introduced a data-gathering process to document the losses suffered by affected Nigerians before formally presenting compensation claims.
According to him, Nigerians whose homes, businesses or other property were damaged or destroyed have been asked to complete a designated form to enable the government assess the extent of their losses.
”We have designed a form for Nigerians who lost property in South Africa. Our compensation request will be based on verified data and the value of the losses recorded,” he said.
Enikanolaiye noted that Nigeria remained committed to resolving the issue through dialogue with South Africa but stressed that the country had other options if negotiations failed to produce acceptable results.
He maintained that every Nigerian, irrespective of their immigration status, deserved legal protection and should not be subjected to violence.
”Whether they are documented or undocumented, they are human beings. Even criminals have a right to life. No one should be hunted down or killed simply because they are accused of committing crimes,” he said.
The minister said the meeting with President Tinubu followed the president’s directive to receive South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special envoy and the country’s foreign minister, Ronald Lamola.
He informed the president that both countries had agreed to reactivate the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission and strengthen an early warning mechanism aimed at preventing future attacks.
Enikanolaiye also reported that about 1,490 Nigerians had so far been evacuated from South Africa, adding that the operation was made possible through government support and contributions from private individuals, who financed two of the evacuation batches.
While many citizens had already returned home, he said some Nigerians were still willing to leave South Africa, adding that the government was exploring additional funding to continue the evacuation exercise.
The minister further revealed that President Tinubu described the attacks as “Afrophobic” rather than merely xenophobic, stressing that African nations must work together to end violence directed at fellow Africans.
He added that Tinubu intended to leverage his cordial relationship with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to strengthen diplomatic engagement and ensure lasting solutions to the recurring attacks.