Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Yusuf Tuggar has condemned the targeting of Nigerians and other black Africans in South Africa, describing the hostility as a betrayal of the ideals associated with the country’s liberation struggle and former President Nelson Mandela.

Tuggar 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.

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Kenyan scholar and Pan-African advocate, Prof. P.L.O. Lumumba, delivered the keynote address.

The former minister said it was unacceptable for Africans who received support from other countries during the fight against apartheid to now face discrimination, intimidation and hostility on the continent.

He warned that such treatment threatened the foundations of Pan-Africanism, arguing that Africa’s ambition for unity and shared prosperity would remain difficult to achieve if people were rejected in other African countries because of their nationality or origin.

Recalling Nigeria’s contributions to the liberation of Southern Africa, Tuggar said the country had committed substantial resources and diplomatic support to the struggle against apartheid and minority rule.

He cited Nigeria’s provision of scholarships and assistance to victims of apartheid, particularly South African students who survived the 1976 Soweto massacre.

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 him, the present treatment of Nigerians and other black Africans in South Africa was difficult to reconcile with the ideals of African liberation embraced by his generation.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

Tuggar said the hostility was emerging at a time when African countries should be strengthening their relationships to improve their collective economic influence and position in global affairs.

He called for stronger institutions, historical awareness and intellectual engagement to challenge prejudices that could weaken solidarity among African nations.

The former minister also linked the problem to the lasting effects of colonial policies and apartheid, arguing that their psychological and social consequences continued to influence relationships among communities.

On economic integration, Tuggar maintained that Pan-Africanism must go beyond political declarations and be reflected in industrialisation, regional cooperation and the removal of trade barriers.

He warned that Africa would struggle to achieve economic independence if its countries continued exporting raw materials while depending on other regions for manufactured products.

Referencing Nigerian development economist Adebayo Adedeji and other African thinkers, he highlighted the importance of manufacturing, regional economic cooperation and the establishment of an African Economic Community.

He identified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as an important framework for advancing the continent’s economic integration through increased trade, industrialisation and the movement of goods and services.

Tuggar also stressed the importance of allowing workers to move freely across African countries, describing labour mobility as essential to the benefits of continental trade.

“The path to Pan-Africanism is through the continental free trade area,” he said.

He further expressed concern about the possible involvement of external interests in anti-migrant campaigns, calling for closer scrutiny of the organisations and funding behind such activities.

Tuggar warned that Nigeria and South Africa could not afford to let xenophobic hostility and mutual suspicion damage their relationship, given its importance to the wider interests of Africa.

He 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 event’s theme, Xenophobia Contradicts Pan-Africanism, challenged African leaders and citizens to examine the difference between their declarations of unity and their treatment of fellow Africans.

Mustapha argued that Pan-African ideals should be reflected in everyday interactions rather than confined to diplomatic meetings, political speeches and economic agreements.

He questioned how Africa could genuinely pursue unity when people were made to feel unsafe or unwelcome in other African countries because of their nationality, ethnicity or origin.

He urged stakeholders to promote tolerance, mutual respect and understanding among people from different national and cultural backgrounds, stressing that Africa’s prosperity, security and dignity were interconnected.

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The event attracted professionals, business leaders, diplomats and other guests to discuss xenophobia, African unity and the need for a more inclusive continent.