Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima declared on Monday, August 31, 2026, that the West African nation will no longer tolerate the dehumanization, humiliation, or systemic mistreatment of its citizens residing in South Africa.
Speaking to journalists in Luanda prior to his departure for Abuja, Shettima strongly condemned the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic hostility targeted at foreign African nationals. He emphasized that while Nigeria values diplomatic harmony, the repeated targeting of its diaspora remains fundamentally unacceptable.
Recalling Nigeria's decisive historical and financial contributions to ending South Africa's apartheid rule, Shettima invoked a popular African proverb to urge humility among Pretoria’s leadership.
"Those whose palm kernels were cracked by benevolent spirits should learn to be humble," Shettima said, according to official statements released by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications Stanley Nkwocha. "We were part of the struggle for the liberation of our brothers and sisters in Southern Africa, and we feel personally pained that our people have been picked up for humiliation."
Shettima represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union (AU) in Luanda. During the summit, the Nigerian delegation petitioned the AU to formally place recurring xenophobic attacks on the agenda for the upcoming 40th Ordinary Session scheduled for January 2027.
The Vice President clarified that Nigeria acknowledges South Africa’s sovereign authority to enforce internal immigration standards. However, he insisted that law enforcement must strictly preserve human rights and international human dignity.
"We don’t want to overheat the polity, but once in a while, you have to make it very clear, vehemently clear, that certain situations are unacceptable, and we’ll work things out," Shettima added, reiterating Nigeria's willingness to pursue bilateral diplomatic resolution.