ABUJA, Nigeria — September 11, 2026: Nigeria’s National Assembly has suspended all official visits to South Africa and ordered a boycott of South African-hosted or South African-organised legislative activities until further notice. The move follows renewed concern over anti-migrant violence and reported attacks affecting Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.
The decision was communicated by Clerk to the National Assembly Kamoru Ogunlana after consultations between the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives. It applies to lawmakers, committees, officials and staff, and covers both physical and virtual legislative engagements.
What did Nigeria suspend over tensions with South Africa? Nigeria’s National Assembly suspended official visits to South Africa and participation in legislative programmes organised or hosted by South African authorities. The measure remains in force until further notice and is intended to signal concern over the safety and welfare of Nigerians living and doing business in South Africa.
Boycott covers lawmakers, committees and virtual engagements
The suspension goes beyond parliamentary travel. According to reports carrying the National Assembly statement, the boycott includes conferences, seminars, workshops, parliamentary meetings, legislative exchanges and other programmes organised or hosted by South African legislative authorities.
Associated Press reported that Nigeria’s parliament suspended official visits indefinitely in response to continuing anti-immigrant protests targeting Africans. Nigerian outlet Naija News reported that the instruction also applies to virtual participation, meaning the freeze is designed as a wider institutional boycott rather than only a travel restriction.
The National Assembly said it was particularly concerned by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced or forced to abandon businesses, investments and homes. It called on South African authorities to protect Nigerians and other African nationals, investigate attacks and prosecute those responsible where evidence supports criminal charges.
The move does not amount to a suspension of diplomatic relations between Abuja and Pretoria. Nigeria’s executive government, diplomatic missions and other bilateral channels remain separate from the National Assembly’s decision. The parliamentary leadership framed its action as pressure over citizen protection rather than a formal break in Nigeria-South Africa relations.
Anti-migrant tensions have already driven Nigerian repatriations
The parliamentary action follows months of worsening concern about the treatment of African migrants in South Africa. XTRAfrica previously reported that Nigeria organised voluntary return flights for citizens in South Africa as anti-migrant protests and reported attacks increased safety fears.
AFRICAN POLITICS
Nigeria Suspends South Africa Parliamentary Visits Over Xenophobia
Sep 11, 2026
Sep 11, 2026
5 min read
Published
Updated:
ABUJA, Nigeria — September 11, 2026: Nigeria’s National Assembly has suspended all official visits to South Africa and ordered a boycott of South African-hosted or South African-organised legislative activities until further notice. The move follows renewed concern over anti-migrant violence and reported attacks affecting Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.
The decision was communicated by Clerk to the National Assembly Kamoru Ogunlana after consultations between the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives. It applies to lawmakers, committees, officials and staff, and covers both physical and virtual legislative engagements.
What did Nigeria suspend over tensions with South Africa? Nigeria’s National Assembly suspended official visits to South Africa and participation in legislative programmes organised or hosted by South African authorities. The measure remains in force until further notice and is intended to signal concern over the safety and welfare of Nigerians living and doing business in South Africa.
Boycott covers lawmakers, committees and virtual engagements
The suspension goes beyond parliamentary travel. According to reports carrying the National Assembly statement, the boycott includes conferences, seminars, workshops, parliamentary meetings, legislative exchanges and other programmes organised or hosted by South African legislative authorities.
Associated Press reported that Nigeria’s parliament suspended official visits indefinitely in response to continuing anti-immigrant protests targeting Africans. Nigerian outlet Naija News reported that the instruction also applies to virtual participation, meaning the freeze is designed as a wider institutional boycott rather than only a travel restriction.
The National Assembly said it was particularly concerned by reports of Nigerians being killed, injured, displaced or forced to abandon businesses, investments and homes. It called on South African authorities to protect Nigerians and other African nationals, investigate attacks and prosecute those responsible where evidence supports criminal charges.
ADVERTISEMENT
The move does not amount to a suspension of diplomatic relations between Abuja and Pretoria. Nigeria’s executive government, diplomatic missions and other bilateral channels remain separate from the National Assembly’s decision. The parliamentary leadership framed its action as pressure over citizen protection rather than a formal break in Nigeria-South Africa relations.
Anti-migrant tensions have already driven Nigerian repatriations
The parliamentary action follows months of worsening concern about the treatment of African migrants in South Africa. XTRAfrica previously reported that Nigeria organised voluntary return flights for citizens in South Africa as anti-migrant protests and reported attacks increased safety fears.
In June, XTRAfrica also reported that Nigeria evacuated hundreds of citizens from South Africa, showing that the dispute had already moved beyond political rhetoric into government-assisted departures.
The latest parliamentary measure therefore marks a new stage. Earlier responses focused heavily on consular protection, evacuation and diplomatic appeals. The September 11 decision extends pressure into direct legislature-to-legislature relations.
AP reported that anti-migrant unrest earlier in 2026 caused deaths, injuries and displacement among migrants in South Africa. The agency also reported that two Nigerians were killed in June, including one case Nigerian authorities said involved police and another involving unidentified attackers.
ADVERTISEMENT
South Africa says immigration enforcement belongs to the state
South African authorities have repeatedly rejected xenophobic violence while defending the state’s authority to enforce immigration laws. In a May statement, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said the government had condemned confrontation and intimidation against immigrants and directed law-enforcement agencies to protect citizens, residents and visitors.
The government’s Inter-Ministerial Committee on Migration later said blocking access to clinics, hospitals, schools and other public services is unlawful, while violence and intimidation against foreign nationals would be prosecuted.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has also argued that immigration laws must be enforced by the state rather than private groups. In remarks to Parliament, he said South Africa could secure its borders while protecting human dignity and rejected xenophobia and Afrophobia.
No fresh public response from South Africa’s government to Nigeria’s September 11 parliamentary suspension had been located by XTRAfrica at the time of this update.
ADVERTISEMENT
POPULAR TODAY
A setback for parliamentary diplomacy between two African powers
Nigeria and South Africa have previously used parliamentary exchanges to reinforce political and diplomatic ties. A 2017 joint statement by the South African Parliament and Nigeria’s House of Representatives described legislative diplomacy as an important part of strengthening relations between the two countries.
That makes the current boycott symbolically significant. It restricts one of the formal channels through which lawmakers from Africa’s two major economies have engaged on bilateral and continental issues.
The wider relationship has already been under strain over migration and attacks on foreign nationals.
XTRAfrica has also reported on South Africa’s anti-immigrant mobilisation and Ramaphosa’s response, as well as regional pressure from other African governments whose citizens have sought repatriation.
The next clear milestone will be whether Pretoria issues a direct response to the Nigerian National Assembly and whether Nigerian lawmakers review the boycott after new security guarantees, prosecutions or diplomatic commitments. Until then, official Nigerian parliamentary visits and participation in South African-hosted legislative engagements remain suspended.
ADVERTISEMENT
RELATED ARTICLE
