South Africa and Nigeria have agreed to rebuild trust and de-escalate diplomatic tensions after weeks of anti-migrant protests, xenophobic rhetoric and security concerns strained relations between Africa’s two largest economies.
The agreement was reached during talks in Abuja between South Africa’s International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola, acting as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s special envoy, and a high-level Nigerian delegation appointed by President Bola Tinubu.
The meeting comes as Pretoria seeks to reassure key African partners that recent anti-immigrant violence and growing public frustration over crime will not derail ties with countries whose citizens live and work in South Africa.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer and most populous country, and South Africa, the continent’s most industrialised economy, are among Africa’s biggest trading and investment partners, making stable diplomatic relations critical for regional economic cooperation.
The Abuja visit followed a similar mission to Ghana, where Lamola met President John Mahama as part of
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