Nigeria's National Assembly Suspends All Travel to South Africa Over Xenophobic Attacks

• Nigeria's National Assembly announced a suspension of all official travel and engagement with South African legislative institutions on September 10
• The suspension covers both physical and virtual participation, including the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town
• Nigeria has evacuated 1,695 of its citizens from South Africa in 2023 amid escalating violence against foreign nationals

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Nigeria's National Assembly has suspended all official travel to South Africa and cut off participation in South African legislative events, citing persistent xenophobic violence against Nigerian nationals living and doing business there.

Kamoru Ogunlana, Clerk to the National Assembly, announced the decision in a statement dated September 10, saying the leadership was alarmed by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced and forced to abandon their homes, businesses and investments.

Business Insider reported that the suspension applies to both physical and virtual engagements, covering parliamentary meetings, programmes, exchanges and other legislative activities hosted by South African institutions.

Ogunlana said the decision was driven by "continuing reports of xenophobic attacks, violence, intimidation, destruction of property and other forms of hostility against Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa."

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The announcement arrived days before the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, scheduled to run in Cape Town from September 13 to 19, effectively barring Nigerian legislators from attending what would have been a significant regional gathering.

Despite the firmness of the measure, the National Assembly emphasised that the move was not aimed at damaging Nigeria's long-standing diplomatic and people-to-people relationship with South Africa. Rather, it was described as a firm expression of concern over the safety, dignity and welfare of Nigerian citizens abroad.

1,695 Nigerians Evacuated From South Africa

The scale of the crisis is reflected in evacuation figures released by Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Ajayi Alexander.

A total of 1,695 Nigerian citizens have been repatriated from South Africa so far in 2026.

Of that number, 1,490 returned through government-sponsored arrangements, while 205 were assisted by private individuals.

The Nigerian government has framed the suspension as a protective measure rather than a diplomatic rupture, signalling that it expects conditions for its citizens in South Africa to improve before normal legislative engagement resumes.

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Source: YEN.com.gh