The Federal Government has warned that it will not accept any form of humiliation against Nigerians or actions that undermine the country’s interests following renewed xenophobic attacks and anti-immigration protests in South Africa.

Presidential Adviser on Foreign Affairs, Demola Oshodi, said the government has already activated diplomatic and security measures to protect Nigerians and safeguard Nigeria’s economic interests in the country.

“We will not accept any sort of humiliation or definitely any huge damages to our interests there. It’s just not possible,” Oshodi said on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He added that although Nigeria places strong emphasis on protecting its citizens, it is also taking a measured diplomatic approach due to the deep economic and historical ties between both countries.

“But I do assure you that we take the lives of Nigerians more seriously than even these investments that I’m talking about, and you can see that in the fact that the president has sent his ambassador there,” he said.

Oshodi noted that the Tinubu administration had already begun evacuating vulnerable Nigerians.

“The Tinubu government is really on top of things. I’ve said we’ve moved hundreds of the most vulnerable people out of South Africa,” he said.

He further explained that Nigeria has escalated the matter with South African authorities while awaiting further developments, including the outcome of a June 30 deadline issued during the unrest.

“There’s a lot of vested interest in both countries… We don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater,” he added.

Meanwhile, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, said the government is also pursuing compensation for Nigerians who lost businesses and properties during the violence.

He explained that repatriation efforts are only the first phase of a broader response.

“This repatriation will not end with just taking people to Nigeria. We are going to systematically follow up on the information given to us,” Ajayi said on The Morning Brief.

According to him, accurate documentation of affected businesses will be submitted to South African authorities for possible compensation.

“We are going to work with the South African government to get to the exact locations of all these businesses… and present them to the South African government for possible compensation,” he said.

The latest unrest has triggered evacuations by several African countries, including Nigeria and Ghana, as protests against undocumented migrants spread across South Africa.

The demonstrations led to widespread disruption, with reports of violence, arrests, business closures, and the deployment of security forces in major cities such as Johannesburg and Durban.