XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS, RE-APPRAISING THE RECIPROCITY IN NIGERIA - SOUTH AFRICA FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1960-2019

Abstract

Reciprocity has been considered and practiced as a veritable instrument employed by states in their interactions with other states. Nigeria and South Africa as regional powers operate in an international system where reciprocity is prevalent. Nigeria-South Africa relations gained traction in 1960 when Nigeria attained her independence and South Africa was at the time ruled by a minority white racist regime. Nigeria at its outset adopted an Africa centered foreign policy even though Nigeria-South Africa relations have not been rancor free over time. Many scholarly literatures on South Africans xenophobic attacks merely captured attacks against foreigners generally and no particularly Nigeria. This paper focuses on the misconstrued reciprocity in Nigeria’s foreign policy and Nigeria-South Africa relations, 1960-2019. Using secondary and tertiary sources of data collection, the data are analyzed using qualitative historical methodology. The paper interrogates the contentions in South Africa’s xenophobic attacks on Nigerians despite Nigeria’s Africa centered and “Big Brother†role over time. The paper argues that xenophobic attacks on Nigerians by South Africans negate the concept of reciprocity with regards to Nigeria’s valued contributions to South Africa in time past. This study posits that reciprocity in Nigeria-South Africa’s relations is far too compromised in the light of these xenophobic attacks on Nigerians. It concludes that unless the painful memories of the historical white racist dominated rule in South Africa are suppressed, misplaced xenophobic attacks targeted at Nigerians may remain a continuum.