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Nigeria’s Parliament has escalated diplomatic tensions with South Africa, threatening punitive economic measures against some of the continent’s largest technology and telecom companies including South Africa’s MTN Group and MultiChoice (owner of DStv) in response to recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Nigerian citizens living in South Africa.
The Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives this week condemned what lawmakers described as persistent Afrophobic attacks, harassment and alleged killings of Nigerians in South Africa.
During a heated debate in the Senate, some legislators called for retaliatory economic measures against South Africa, including sanctions and restrictions on major South African companies operating in Nigeria such as MTN and DStv. Former Edo State governor and senior senator Adams Oshiomhole was among those who argued that Nigeria could no longer continue responding with silence while Nigerians were allegedly being attacked and humiliated in South Africa.
Other lawmakers proposed a review of bilateral agreements between the two countries and called for the African Union and ECOWAS to formally intervene in the matter.
The total annual turnover of South African businesses in Nigeria is over US$10 billion annually, with MTN alone generating about US$3.45 billion in revenue in 2025, accounting for roughly 27% of the entire MTN Group’s global revenue. Other South African companies operating in Nigeria include Standard Bank/Stanbic IBTC, Shoprite, Pepkor (PEP Stores), Protea Hotels, SABMiller/AB InBev, Tiger Brands, South African Airways, and various mining, logistics and financial services firms.
However, Nigeria stopped short of formally approving sanctions. Instead, the Senate resolved to establish a joint parliamentary delegation that will travel to South Africa for a diplomatic and fact-finding mission aimed at engaging the South African Parliament directly over the attacks. Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged restraint during the debate, arguing that diplomacy and engagement should be prioritised before retaliation.
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