Renowned journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Ray Ekpu, has urged the Nigerian government to take a decisive diplomatic stand against recurring xenophobic violence in South Africa, insisting that Pretoria must hold offenders accountable and compensate affected citizens.
Speaking on Thursday, August 6, 2026, during a Pan-African Policy Dialogue in Lagos, Ekpu warned against calls for retaliatory attacks on South African corporate interests in Nigeria, advocating instead for principled diplomacy, legal action, and continental integration.
Host Organizations was League of Nigerian Columnists (LNC) in partnership with the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS).
Featured Spokespersons was no other than Ray Ekpu, Vice President, League of Nigerian Columnists (LNC) & Keynote Speaker, Chief Tola Adeniyi — President, League of Nigerian Columnists (LNC), and Prof. Anthony Kila — Director, Commonwealth Institute of Advanced, Professional Studies (CIAPS) and Funmi Ogundare, Reporting Media Lead.
Addressing a gathering of senior journalists, academics, diplomats, and civil society leaders, Ekpu criticized the South African police and judicial authorities for their lenient posture toward xenophobic agitators.
“The South African government has not come out categorically to condemn what is going on, and the police appear to be looking the other way while these crimes are taking place. Those who violate the law should be dealt with according to the rule of law,” Ekpu declared.
He stressed that diplomatic pressure from Abuja must result in tangible financial compensation for Nigerians whose businesses and livelihoods were destroyed in South Africa:
“The South African government should pay compensation, while our own government should help those who have returned to resettle and start life again.”
Despite intense public indignation in Nigeria, Ekpu explicitly opposed calls to target South African commercial giants operating locally, pointing out that millions of Nigerians rely on these companies for employment.
“I do not believe in an eye-for-an-eye approach. If we go that route, Africa will only destroy itself. We should pursue coexistence and continue building Pan-Africanism,” Ekpu emphasized.
Supporting this perspective, LNC President Chief Tola Adeniyi condemned the ongoing hostility in South Africa, describing it as a tragic betrayal of the immense sacrifices made by Nigeria and frontline states to end apartheid.
Ekpu noted that while South Africa grapples with severe internal socio-economic pressures, including high unemployment and food insecurity. African nations must fix their own governance deficits to prevent citizens from fleeing into hostile environment abroad.
He warned that unchecked xenophobia risks devolving into wider internal strife within host nations:
“Today it is South Africans against other Africans. Tomorrow it could become Zulu against non-Zulu. If this trend continues, they will eventually turn on themselves.”
