Ekpu Urges Nigeria to Address South Africa's Xenophobia

At a Pan-African roundtable organized by the League of Nigerian Columnists in partnership with the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies, Ray Ekpu, the Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, called on the Nigerian government to intensify diplomatic engagement with South Africa concerning recurring xenophobic attacks. He criticized the South African government for failing to enforce its laws against such violence and for not adequately protecting immigrants.

Ekpu urged the Nigerian government to avoid retaliatory actions against South African businesses in Nigeria, arguing that such measures would harm Nigerians more than South Africans. He emphasized the importance of coexistence and building Pan-Africanism, given the continent's existing challenges like economic hardship and political instability.

Ekpu also called for the South African government to compensate victims of xenophobic violence and for the Nigerian government to assist returning citizens in rebuilding their lives. He attributed the migration of Nigerians to difficult economic conditions at home.