The president of the Africa Development Study Centre (ADSC), Victor Oluwafemi, has urged the federal government to summon South Africa’s High Commissioner to Nigeria over recurring attacks on Nigerians in the country.
In a statement on Saturday, Mr Oluwafemi recommended a formal engagement for clear assurances regarding the safety of Nigerian nationals in South Africa.
A recent trending video showed a lady and a man attacking a Nigerian cab driver in South Africa, strangling him to death, and making away with his valuables.
Mr Oluwafemi tasked the federal government on taking decisive actions to protect Nigerians in South Africa and other tense countries.
According to him, Nigeria must protect its citizens at home and in the diaspora to reclaim its respect in the comity of nations.
He urged the federal government to immediately appoint ambassadors to represent the country in all countries of the world, especially those with tensions.
Mr Oluwafemi, who is also an international development consultant and a member of the Harvard Business Review Advisory Council, said the recurring attacks on Nigerians in South Africa demanded urgent action.
“Nigeria currently has no substantive ambassador in South Africa. At a time when tensions and vulnerabilities persist, this absence creates a strategic gap.
“An ambassador is not deployed for ceremony alone; an ambassador represents national authority, deterrence, crisis engagement, and the structured defence of citizens,” he said.
He said the federal government should, as a matter of urgency, deploy a substantive ambassador to South Africa and accelerate ambassadorial postings to other relevant high-risk jurisdictions.
“Diplomatic representation must serve not only protocol but also protection and national reputation management,” he said.
Mr Oluwafemi said incidents involving the killing or violent targeting of Nigerians abroad must trigger visible diplomatic action within 24 hours.
According to him, delayed responses weaken deterrence and embolden repetition.
“Protection of citizens must therefore be intentionally built into foreign policy architecture.
“Bilateral engagements must include enforceable commitments on citizen safety, while diplomatic performance must be measurable, accountable, and time-bound,” he said.
Mr Oluwafemi tasked the Minister of Foreign Affairs on strengthening rapid response protocols and establishing structured escalation mechanisms for diaspora incidents.
He added that the minister must ensure that missions in sensitive jurisdictions operate with clear protective mandates.
Mr Oluwafemi also urged the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission to intensify risk mapping, crisis reporting channels, and structured engagement with host authorities.
According to him, this will ensure that Nigerians in vulnerable environments are not left without support.
He appealed to Nigerians abroad to serve as responsible ambassadors of Nigeria’s values, enterprise, and discipline.
(NAN)