South Africans xenophobic attack on Nigerians: Should Nigeria’s Afrocentric foreign policy continue?

Abstract

Diplomatic relationship is built on mutual understanding with accruing mutual benefits. No nation goes into bilateral or multilateral relationship without thinking of its national interest first. In contradistinction to the above, Nigeria appeared to be championing the course of Africa without corresponding benefit to her national interest. From independence to 2015 when South Africans intensified their xenophobic attacks on Nigerians, Nigeria had expended enormous amount of her national wealth on various countries in Africa. It is on record that Nigeria spent Sixty-One Billion US Dollars in fighting apartheid in South Africa. She has been in the fore front in peace keeping operations in Africa with devastating effect on her human and material resources. Yet she is not recognized by African countries that benefited from her magnanimity and therefore challenged her interest at regional and international levels. The topical issue is the South Africans xenophobic attacks on African immigrants with Nigerians mostly affected. This paper using print and electronic materials examined the South Africans xenophobic attack on Nigerians and concluded that Nigeria should rather develop her domestic economy than making Father Christmas to African countries without reciprocal returns.

Keywords: Africa, Brotherhood, Xenophobic Attack, Nigerian Foreign Policy