Nigeria’s National Assembly has indefinitely banned official travels to South Africa and instructed its lawmakers to boycott all parliamentary functions hosted by South African authorities in response to escalating reports of xenophobic violence against foreign nationals.
The boycott covers all in-person and online legislative engagements—including conferences, seminars, workshops, and parliamentary exchanges—sponsored or co-sponsored by South African legislative bodies. Under the strict directive, no official delegation, committee, parliamentarian, or staff member may participate in any such engagements without prior written authorisation from the parliamentary leadership, while all existing travel plans and invitations are slated for immediate review.
The parliamentary embargo follows widespread concern over persistent attacks, harassment, and property destruction targeting Nigerians and other African migrants residing in South Africa. Nigerian lawmakers expressed severe dismay over reports of citizens facing violence, displacement, and the destruction of their commercial enterprises despite recurring diplomatic interventions urging Pretoria to protect foreign residents and prosecute offenders.
In a statement on Friday, House of Representatives spokesman Akin Rotimi confirmed that the leadership of the Senate and the House of Representatives had directed the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamoru Ogunlana, to enforce the travel freeze across all directorates, committees, and staff members.
The directive outlines that “The Leadership of the National Assembly, led by H.E. Senator Godswill Akpabio, GCON, President of the Senate, and Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, PhD, GCON, Speaker of the House of Representatives, has directed the Clerk to the National Assembly to communicate to all Distinguished Senators, Honourable Members, Committees, departments, directorates, officials and staff the decision of the National Assembly to suspend all official visits to the Republic of South Africa and boycott South African-hosted or South African-organised legislative activities and engagements until further notice”.
This decision builds on earlier resolutions passed by the legislature condemning the resurgence of anti-immigrant violence and supporting government-led diplomatic negotiations. While the boycott will remain active pending further review, the Assembly clarified that the policy is aimed at prompting decisive action rather than severing historical diplomatic relations.
The legislature emphasised that “While parliamentary diplomacy and inter-legislative cooperation remain important, they must rest on mutual respect and a shared commitment to protecting life, property and lawful enterprise”.