President Bola Tinubu has agreed to receive a special envoy from South African President Cyril Ramaphosa following diplomatic efforts to ease tensions over the recent wave of xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
The meeting is expected to focus on the protection of Nigerians living in South Africa and measures to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries.
Tinubu had earlier declined to receive the South African delegation amid growing concern over attacks targeting Nigerians, their businesses and properties.
The delegation, led by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on Friday, 24 July, but did not secure an audience with the Nigerian President.
However, diplomatic sources said the situation changed following behind-the-scenes engagements, including a telephone conversation initiated by President Ramaphosa over the weekend.
The intervention is understood to have paved the way for a meeting between the two sides later on Monday.
The discussions are expected to involve senior officials from both Nigeria and South Africa. Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, is expected to play a leading role in the talks, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, is attending official engagements in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
