NAIROBI, Kenya — September 10, 2026: Nigeria's High Commissioner to Kenya, Danlami Ibrahim, says consultations with Nigerian community representatives found no immediate cause for alarm over Kenya's policy on foreign participation in small-scale trade.
Ibrahim told Nigeria's Leadership newspaper that Nigerians were continuing their normal activities and that the policy was not specifically directed at them. His remarks were published on Thursday morning as concern over President William Ruto's earlier statements spread beyond East Africa.
Are Nigerian businesses being targeted by Kenya's foreign-trader policy?
Nigerian High Commissioner Danlami Ibrahim says the policy is not specifically aimed at Nigerians and that community consultations found no immediate cause for alarm. Kenya has announced a 90-day process for foreign operators to regularise immigration, work-permit, registration and licensing documents.
What the Nigerian envoy said
In a direct interview with Leadership, Ibrahim said he had met Nigerian community leaders, professionals and socio-cultural organisations to assess the situation. He said those consultations did not show panic among Nigerians living in Kenya.
The envoy also distinguished the Kenyan situation from previous xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. He said Nigerian residents should not assume the policy is aimed at their community.
Kenyans.co.ke published the reassurance at 9:00 AM EAT on Thursday, moving the story from an East African immigration dispute into a Nigeria-Kenya diplomatic concern.
The reassurance does not amount to a legal exemption for Nigerian nationals. Foreign residents and business operators remain responsible for complying with Kenya's immigration, work-permit, business-registration and licensing requirements.
Kenya's 90-day regularisation process
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Nigerian Envoy Says Kenya Policy Does Not Target Nigerians
Sep 10, 2026
Sep 10, 2026
4 min read
Published
Updated:
NAIROBI, Kenya — September 10, 2026: Nigeria's High Commissioner to Kenya, Danlami Ibrahim, says consultations with Nigerian community representatives found no immediate cause for alarm over Kenya's policy on foreign participation in small-scale trade.
Ibrahim told Nigeria's Leadership newspaper that Nigerians were continuing their normal activities and that the policy was not specifically directed at them. His remarks were published on Thursday morning as concern over President William Ruto's earlier statements spread beyond East Africa.
Are Nigerian businesses being targeted by Kenya's foreign-trader policy?
Nigerian High Commissioner Danlami Ibrahim says the policy is not specifically aimed at Nigerians and that community consultations found no immediate cause for alarm. Kenya has announced a 90-day process for foreign operators to regularise immigration, work-permit, registration and licensing documents.
What the Nigerian envoy said
In a direct interview with Leadership, Ibrahim said he had met Nigerian community leaders, professionals and socio-cultural organisations to assess the situation. He said those consultations did not show panic among Nigerians living in Kenya.
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The envoy also distinguished the Kenyan situation from previous xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa. He said Nigerian residents should not assume the policy is aimed at their community.
Kenyans.co.ke published the reassurance at 9:00 AM EAT on Thursday, moving the story from an East African immigration dispute into a Nigeria-Kenya diplomatic concern.
The reassurance does not amount to a legal exemption for Nigerian nationals. Foreign residents and business operators remain responsible for complying with Kenya's immigration, work-permit, business-registration and licensing requirements.
Kenya's 90-day regularisation process
Ruto had earlier said foreigners should not compete with Kenyans in hawking and small retail businesses. The comments alarmed migrant communities and prompted some Burundian traders to seek documents to leave the country.
Kenya's government later announced an orderly 90-day process for foreign operators to regularise their status. State House policy coverage by Citizen Digital says the exercise will be coordinated by relevant agencies in consultation with embassies.
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The government also said the rules would be administered fairly and without discrimination during the window. It warned that nobody has authority to harass, threaten or interfere with foreign nationals or their businesses.
The 90-day measure does not mean that all foreign-owned businesses have been approved permanently. Nor does it establish that every foreign trader is undocumented. The practical outcome will depend on an operator's immigration status, permits, registration, licences and the final rules developed under Kenya's local-content framework.
Why the Nigerian response matters
Kenya is a major commercial and diplomatic centre for East Africa, while Nigerians operate professional, corporate and entrepreneurial ventures across the region. A public statement by Nigeria's senior diplomat in Nairobi gives Nigerian residents a direct point of reference after several days of conflicting headlines.
The response also shows that the dispute has expanded beyond Kenya's relationship with neighbouring East African communities. Associated Press reporting documented anxiety among Burundian and Congolese residents after the president's remarks, alongside the later government clarification.
The East Africa Law Society has separately warned that implementation must respect Kenya's regional obligations. Citizen Digital reported the group's position, including its argument that nationality alone should not be treated as evidence of illegality.
XTRAfrica previously reported that some Burundian traders still sought to leave after the 90-day window was announced. Ibrahim's intervention adds a new national response rather than resolving every concern raised by the wider policy.
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What Nigerians in Kenya should do
Nigerian residents should rely on official communication from the Nigerian High Commission and Kenyan authorities, not forwarded screenshots or claims of a blanket expulsion. Business operators should check whether their immigration status, work permit, company or business-name registration, county licence and sector-specific approvals are current.
Anyone facing threats or harassment should document the incident and report it through the appropriate Kenyan security channels and the Nigerian High Commission. The envoy's reassurance is important, but it does not replace individual legal compliance or protection when an incident occurs.
The next verifiable milestones are formal implementation guidance from Kenya, any written advisory from Nigeria's High Commission, and evidence showing how the 90-day exercise is applied on the ground.
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