The Nigerian government has demanded compensation for its citizens who fled South Africa amid a wave of xenophobic attacks, a move that has drawn praise from the UK government while exposing the fragile state of labour rights and regional inequality in the region.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on South Africa to provide restitution for property and assets lost by Nigerian nationals who were forced to leave the country after a series of violent attacks targeting foreign-owned shops. The UK government, in a separate statement, backed the property rights of those affected, saying that "orderly redress is essential for the rule of law."
The demand comes after weeks of unrest in South Africa, where at least 12 people have died and hundreds of small businesses, many owned by Nigerian and other African immigrants, have been looted or destroyed. The attacks have been linked to high unemployment and wage stagnation, with local communities blaming foreigners for taking jobs and driving up rental costs.
For Nigerian workers, the crisis is a stark reminder of the precariousness of labour mobility in an era of growing economic nationalism. Many of those fleeing were small traders, tailors and shopkeepers who had built modest livelihoods over years of hard work. Now, they face destitution with no guarantee of government support.
"My entire savings were in that shop. Now I have nothing," said Chidi Okafor, a 45-year-old trader in Lagos who returned from Johannesburg last week. "I cannot feed my children. The Nigerian government must do something."
The UK's backing of property rights is seen as a strategic move to strengthen diplomatic ties with Africa's largest economy. But it has drawn criticism from some UK unions and activists who argue that the British government is ignoring the root causes of the violence: global inequality and the erosion of workers' rights.
"The UK is happy to back property rights when it suits their foreign policy, but they remain silent on the exploitation of workers and the race-to-the-bottom wages that fuel these tensions," said Fatima Ahmed, a spokesperson for the Trade Union Congress.
The South African government has condemned the attacks but faces internal pressure to address economic grievances. The country's unemployment rate stands at 32 percent, with youth joblessness exceeding 60 percent. An increasing number of South Africans, particularly in townships, view immigrants as competitors for scarce resources.
Nigeria's demand for compensation is likely to test diplomatic relations between Africa's two largest economies. A joint task force has been set up to assess individual losses, but critics say the process will be slow and opaque. Meanwhile, the UK government has pledged to support Nigerian nationals through its consular services.
For the British public, the crisis highlights the interconnectedness of global labour markets and the need for fair policies that protect workers, not just property. As union leaders warn of rising xenophobia in the UK itself, the events in South Africa serve as a cautionary tale of what happens when economic inequality is allowed to fester.
"We must not look away," said Ahmed. "The price of bread in Lagos or Johannesburg is tied to the price of bread in Manchester. We are all in this together. The UK government should be championing workers' rights, not just property rights."
