By Abioye Tosin Lawrence
If reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declined to receive the South African envoy are true, then this may be the boldest diplomatic message of his presidency. It declares that the blood of Nigerians is not cheap, that the lives of our citizens matter, and that repeated xenophobic attacks cannot be ignored in the name of diplomacy.
For too long, Nigerians in South Africa have endured pain, humiliation, destruction, and death. Hardworking men and women who crossed borders in search of legitimate opportunities have watched businesses built over decades reduced to ashes. Families have buried loved ones. Dreams have been shattered. Yet the cycle of violence has too often been followed by promises rather than lasting solutions.
I have interacted with Nigerians from different walks of life. While many travel abroad to seek opportunities, learn new cultures, and expand their horizons, Nigeria remains a land blessed with abundant human and natural resources. We are a resilient people whose contributions can be found in virtually every nation on earth.
The time has come for African leaders to stop pretending that recurring xenophobic attacks are ordinary criminal incidents. A government has a duty to protect everyone within its borders, citizens and foreigners alike. When that duty repeatedly fails, the continent cannot continue with business as usual.
If President Tinubu indeed refused the meeting, then that diplomatic body language should not end there. It should echo through every regional summit, every diplomatic gathering, and every continental forum. Nigeria must demand concrete guarantees for the safety of its citizens wherever they live and work.
The Nigerian presidency carries enormous influence across Africa. That influence should never be exercised for pride alone but for the protection of Nigerians whose only offence was seeking honest livelihoods beyond our borders. The safety of our sons and daughters abroad must never become a negotiable issue.
As someone who has lived outside Nigeria, I understand the emotional burden carried by immigrants. Leaving home is never easy. Every migrant deserves dignity, justice, and protection regardless of nationality. Nations that uphold these values will earn respect and prosperity, while those that tolerate hatred risk damaging their own standing before the world.
If these reports are confirmed, then President Tinubu deserves commendation for placing the lives of Nigerians above diplomatic convenience. Leadership is measured not only by speeches but by the willingness to defend one's people when it matters most.
May every Nigerian, whether in Africa or anywhere else in the world, know that their country will never remain silent when their lives are threatened.
Abioye Tosin Lawrence is the Publisher of Oriontimes News and author of Voices From the Fire: My Journey Through a Hollow Empire.
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