Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has condemned the growing hostility against fellow Africans in parts of the continent, particularly South Africa.
He warned that xenophobia undermines the ideals of Pan-Africanism and threatens Africa’s collective future.
Tuggar said Africa could not genuinely pursue continental unity, economic integration and shared prosperity while citizens of one African country were subjected to discrimination, intimidation and violence in another.
He spoke at the 2026 end-of-year event of The Bridge Club, Lagos where he served as chairman of the occasion.
The event, held at the Continental Hotel, Lagos featured renowned Kenyan scholar and Pan-African advocate, Professor P.L.O. Lumumba, as keynote speaker.
The former minister, who reflected on Nigeria’s historical involvement in the struggle against apartheid in Southern Africa, said the country had made enormous sacrifices to secure the liberation of African countries from racist minority rule.
Tuggar recalled how Nigeria provided scholarships and other assistance to victims of apartheid, including South African students who survived the 1976 Soweto massacre.
According to him, Nigeria’s solidarity extended to Namibia, Angola and other African countries struggling against colonialism and racial oppression.
He said Nigerians of his generation grew up believing in African liberation and unity, making the current hostility against Nigerians and other black Africans in South Africa particularly difficult to understand.
Tuggar said: “These are but a very few of the reasons Nigerians cannot fathom why they and other black Africans are being targeted in South Africa.
“Call it Afrophobia, which may be a better description than xenophobia, as non-black Africans appear to be exempted, or the more euphemistic framing of anti-migration protests, it is wrong and must be condemned.”
He described the development as particularly unfortunate at a time when African countries should be strengthening cooperation to improve their economic and political standing in the international community.
Tuggar, however, argued that understanding the historical and structural factors behind the hostility was necessary to addressing the problem, stressing that historical context should not be mistaken for justification.
Prof. P.L.O. Lumumba
at the end-of-the-year symposium of the club on Xenophobia and Pan-Africanism on Thursday at the Continental Hotel, Lagos.
He traced some of the roots of institutionalised segregation in Africa to colonial policies and the apartheid system, arguing that their psychological and social consequences continued to influence relationships within African societies.
The former minister said the continent needed intellectual rigour, historical understanding and stronger institutions to confront prejudice and other attitudes that undermine African solidarity.
He also identified economic integration and industrial development as critical elements of genuine Pan-Africanism.
According to him, Africa cannot achieve meaningful development by remaining a supplier of raw materials to the rest of the world while importing finished products.
He cited the vision of Nigerian development economist Adebayo Adedeji and other African intellectuals who advocated manufacturing, regional integration and the development of an African Economic Community.
Tuggar said the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) offered an important opportunity to advance that vision by strengthening trade, industrialisation and the movement of goods and services across national borders.
He identified three important connections between economic integration and Pan-Africanism, including the need for free movement of labour as a foundation of an effective continental free trade system.
He said: “The path to Pan-Africanism is through the continental free trade area.
“As the father of capitalism, Adam Smith, once opined, the free circulation of labour is the foundation of any free trade system.”
Tuggar also expressed concern about the possible influence of external interests in fuelling anti-migrant sentiments, calling for greater scrutiny of organised anti-immigration campaigns and their sources of funding.
He warned that the relationship between Nigeria and South Africa remained too important to the continent’s future to be undermined by hostility and mutual suspicion.
He recalled South Africa’s support for Nigeria’s international engagements, including its efforts towards joining the Group of 20 (G20).
Earlier, President of The Bridge Club, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), said the theme of the event, Xenophobia Contradicts Pan-Africanism, reflected the urgent need for Africans to reconcile their commitment to continental unity with their treatment of fellow Africans.
Mustapha said Pan-Africanism must go beyond political declarations, diplomatic conferences and economic agreements to become evident in people’s attitudes and conduct.
He asked: “How can we genuinely aspire to a united Africa when an African is made to feel unwelcome, unsafe or unwanted in another African country simply because of nationality, ethnicity or origin?”
He added that Africa’s prosperity, security and dignity were interconnected and could not be achieved sustainably at the expense of another African country.
Mustapha urged members of the club and other stakeholders to promote tolerance, mutual respect and understanding across national and cultural boundaries.
The event brought together professionals, business leaders, diplomats and other distinguished guests to discuss the future of African unity and the responsibilities of citizens in building a more inclusive continent.
