Tuggar said it was particularly troubling that Africans who benefited from the solidarity of other countries during the liberation struggle were now being subjected to intimidation and discrimination on the continent.
He spoke on Thursday at the 2026 end-of-year event of The Bridge Club, held at the Continental Hotel in Lagos, where he served as chairman of the occasion. Renowned Kenyan scholar and Pan-African advocate, Prof. P.L.O. Lumumba, delivered the keynote address.
The former minister warned that the growing hostility towards Nigerians and other African nationals threatened the foundations of Pan-Africanism, arguing that the continent’s aspirations for unity and shared prosperity would remain elusive if Africans were unwelcome in other countries because of their nationality or origin.
Recalling Nigeria’s role in the liberation of Southern Africa, Tuggar said the country had committed significant financial resources and diplomatic support to the struggle against apartheid and minority rule.
He cited Nigeria’s scholarship programmes and assistance to victims of apartheid, particularly South African students who survived the 1976 Soweto massacre, as examples of the country’s contribution.
He also recalled Nigeria’s support for liberation movements and independence struggles in Namibia, Angola and other African territories affected by colonialism and racial discrimination.
According to Tuggar, the experience of his generation, which grew up embracing the ideals of African liberation, made the current treatment of Nigerians and other black Africans in South Africa difficult to reconcile with the continent’s history.
“These are but a very few of the reasons why 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 said.
Tuggar noted that the hostility was occurring at a time when African countries should be strengthening their relationships to improve their collective economic power and influence in global affairs.
He called for the condemnation of attacks against African migrants, while stressing the need to understand the historical and social factors contributing to discrimination across the continent.
The former minister traced some of the persistent prejudices and divisions in African societies to colonial policies and the apartheid system, arguing that their psychological and social consequences continued to influence relations between communities.
He called for stronger institutions, greater historical awareness and sustained intellectual engagement to challenge attitudes that could undermine African solidarity.
Beyond condemning xenophobia, Tuggar argued that Pan-Africanism must translate into practical economic policies, particularly industrialisation, regional cooperation and the removal of barriers to trade among African countries.
He warned that Africa’s quest for economic independence would remain difficult to achieve if countries continued to export raw materials while depending on other regions for manufactured products.
Referencing the contributions of Nigerian development economist, Adebayo Adedeji, and other African intellectuals, he highlighted the importance of manufacturing, regional economic integration and the establishment of an African Economic Community.
He identified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key instrument for advancing the vision through increased intra-African trade, industrial development and the movement of goods and services across national borders.
Tuggar also emphasised the importance of allowing workers to move freely across the continent, saying labour mobility was essential to achieving the full benefits of economic integration.
“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,” he said.
The former minister further raised concerns about the possible involvement of external interests in campaigns against migrants, calling for closer scrutiny of the organisations and funding sources behind such activities.
He warned that Nigeria and South Africa could not afford to allow xenophobic attacks and mutual suspicion to damage their bilateral relations, given the strategic importance of both countries to Africa’s wider interests.
Tuggar also recalled South Africa’s support for Nigeria’s international engagements, including its efforts to secure membership of the Group of 20 (G20).
Earlier, President of The Bridge Club, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), said the theme of the event, Xenophobia Contradicts Pan-Africanism, challenged African leaders and citizens to reflect on the disconnect between their commitment to continental unity and their treatment of fellow Africans.
Mustapha maintained that Pan-Africanism should be demonstrated through everyday interactions and attitudes rather than confined to diplomatic engagements, political speeches and economic agreements.
He questioned how Africa could achieve genuine unity when people were made to feel unwelcome or unsafe in other African countries because of their nationality, ethnicity or origin.
“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 asked.
He stressed that Africa’s prosperity, security and dignity were interconnected, adding that no country could achieve sustainable development by undermining the interests and welfare of another.
Mustapha urged members of the club and other stakeholders to promote tolerance, mutual respect and understanding among people from different national and cultural backgrounds.
The event brought together professionals, business leaders, diplomats and other distinguished guests to examine the challenges of xenophobia, the future of African unity and the need for a more inclusive continent.
