Nigeria raises alarm over Xenophobic attacks, urges African unity

Nigeria has condemned rising xenophobic attacks against Africans in other African countries, warning that hostility towards migrants and foreign nationals threatens continental solidarity, integration and peaceful coexistence.

The Federal Government raised the concern during the United Nations General Assembly’s adoption of a new political declaration aimed at strengthening global efforts to combat racism and racial discrimination.

Speaking on behalf of Nigeria, Ambassador Bola Asaju urged African governments to confront growing discrimination and violence against people living outside their countries of origin, insisting that economic hardship, unemployment and other social challenges could not justify attacks on fellow Africans.

Nigeria warned that the continent could not credibly promote Pan-Africanism and regional integration while tolerating hostility against citizens of other African countries.

Asaju expressed particular concern about incidents of xenophobic violence targeting Africans in countries where they reside, describing the trend as a threat to the historical bonds of solidarity that helped the continent overcome colonialism and racial oppression.

He said Africa’s liberation struggles should serve as a reminder of the importance of unity, mutual respect and collective responsibility rather than division among its populations.

The Nigerian delegation maintained that governments had a duty to protect everyone within their territories, irrespective of nationality or immigration status, and ensure that no individual was subjected to violence, intimidation or discrimination.

It also called for accountability for individuals and groups responsible for xenophobic attacks, urging African countries to strengthen national laws, improve regional cooperation and expand public education campaigns against discrimination.

Nigeria further stressed the need to address the socioeconomic challenges that could be exploited to incite hostility against migrants and foreign nationals.

READ ALSO; Eight women found dead near Johannesburg as South Africa confronts renewed femicide fears

According to the delegation, governments must resist attempts to blame foreigners collectively for domestic economic difficulties, warning that such narratives could deepen divisions and fuel violence.

The Federal Government reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, an international framework adopted in South Africa in 2001 to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Asaju said Nigeria supported the latest political declaration and voted in favour of its adoption by the UN General Assembly.

The declaration was adopted with 95 votes in favour, five against and 37 abstentions, reflecting continued international engagement over the global response to racism and discrimination.

Marking the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the new declaration renews international commitments to eliminating racial discrimination and addressing its historical and contemporary manifestations.

It recognises the enduring consequences of slavery, the transatlantic slave trade, colonialism and apartheid, while calling for stronger measures to tackle present-day forms of discrimination.

The declaration also addresses racial profiling, hate speech, unequal access to justice and discriminatory practices associated with emerging digital technologies.

Nigeria emphasised that international commitments to fighting racism must translate into measurable improvements in people’s lives rather than remain political statements without practical consequences.

The country called on governments to demonstrate stronger political will in confronting racism and xenophobia, including discriminatory practices within their own societies.

Nigeria also maintained that African governments must lead by example by protecting the rights and dignity of migrants and foreign nationals, particularly at a time when economic pressures and social tensions could heighten hostility towards outsiders.

The position underscores the contradiction between the continent’s longstanding pursuit of Pan-Africanism and incidents in which Africans face discrimination or violence in other African countries.

For Nigeria, safeguarding human dignity, promoting peaceful coexistence and strengthening solidarity among African populations remain essential to achieving the continent’s integration and development objectives.

South Africa supported the declaration, while the European Union raised reservations about certain provisions relating to neocolonialism and reparatory justice, highlighting continuing differences among countries over aspects of the international framework for addressing historical injustices.

Nigeria’s intervention reinforced its call for African countries to move beyond declarations of unity and demonstrate their commitment through concrete action against xenophobia, discrimination and violence.