Ex- Foreign Affairs Minister, Hong Calls For Stiffer Measures On S’African Business Interest In Nigeria

Tom Garba

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Idi Hong, has called on the Federal Government to abandon what he described as its longstanding policy of diplomatic restraint and adopt reciprocal measures against South Africa over the recurring xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians.

Hong made the call during an appearance on the Nigerian Television Authority’s (NTA) Insight programme while discussing whether Nigeria should continue to uphold conventional diplomatic restraint or respond more firmly to the persistent attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa.

He expressed concern over what he described as South Africa’s failure to adequately protect law-abiding foreign residents, particularly Nigerians, despite repeated incidents of violence, looting and destruction of businesses belonging to African migrants.

The former minister also faulted the South African government’s handling of the attacks, saying there had been little effort to compensate victims or hold perpetrators accountable.

According to him, diplomacy is about deploying a country’s available strengths to achieve its national interests, stressing that reciprocity remains a universally recognised principle in international relations.

He argued that South Africa had failed to uphold international diplomatic protocols and had not demonstrated fairness in its treatment of Nigerians.

“It is high time Nigeria stopped the big brother diplomacy that it is known for and dealt with South Africa appropriately,” Hong said.

He maintained that reciprocal action, often described as “tit for tat” or “an eye for an eye,” was justified where one country repeatedly failed to respect diplomatic norms or protect the rights of another country’s citizens.

Hong further stated that no diplomatic option should be ruled out, insisting that countries have a responsibility to protect their citizens using every legitimate diplomatic and economic instrument available to them.

Drawing attention to the economic relationship between both countries, he argued that South Africa had considerably more commercial interests in Nigeria than Nigerians had in South Africa.

According to him, while an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Nigerians residing in South Africa are largely engaged in small-scale businesses and petty trading, most of their investments are relatively modest and generally worth less than one million dollars.

In contrast, he said more than 120 South African-owned companies operate in Nigeria, including telecommunications, financial and broadcasting firms such as MTN, MultiChoice and Stanbic, which reportedly repatriate billions of dollars annually from the Nigerian economy.

He argued that Nigeria should leverage its strategic economic importance in the same way countries use trade, energy or other national assets to influence international relations.

“You use what you have to get what you need,” he said, adding that diplomacy should serve a country’s national interest rather than sentiment.

Hong also criticised what he described as the silence of South African government officials and prominent national figures over the recurring attacks, saying their failure to take a strong public position had emboldened perpetrators.

He lamented that many Nigerians who had lived in South Africa for decades, contributed to its economy, paid taxes and created employment had become victims of violence and were being forced to abandon businesses and investments built over many years.

The former minister maintained that Nigeria should reassess its diplomatic approach towards South Africa and consider stronger reciprocal measures until adequate protection is guaranteed for Nigerians living and conducting legitimate businesses in the country.