No Nigerians please: xenophobic hatred for Nigerians in Africa

Imagine your child being born into a world that already hates them just because of the location of their birth. Something that millions of Africans already experience in their lives.

Born on the continent where all life started, most of the worlds animals, natural resources and hardest working people from Africa. Then imagine that your country out of the 56 African nations is being tagged with a bad name.

As an offspring from that nation everywhere you go people have a story about something someone from Nigeria as done. Someone that has nothing to do with you or your existence.

There are some 219 million Nigerians in Nigeria. Every corner of the world has a Nigerian population, everyone. The narrative that they’re troublesome comes from that one story you’ve heard from some site you can’t even recall.

These are the same types of things are said about Black Americans thugs, criminals, thieves and liars. Oddly enough some Nigerians speak this way about Black Americans, if ever two groups were pigeonholed into stereotypical roles it’s the Nigerians & Black Americans.

Same things can be said about White people, everyone of them is labeled as a racist or colonizer. Any where you go in the world your skin speaks for you before you even open your mouth.

This is the same mentality for Nigerians and Black Americans. Labeling people troublesome before you even get to know them.

Whom would ever expect this form of xenophobia in Africa towards your own people? Yet it continues to happen in 2023 the hatred for someone that looks just like any other African.

Nigerians are labeled with names like scammers, terrorists, criminals and rowdy. In a small country overpopulated and run by corrupted officials. This isn't the whole of the people, this isn't what Nigerians are or want to be. Like a the Scarlet Letter.

However this label is placed on everyone born of Nigerians roots all around the world. They're forced to be placed in a category that doesn't befit them. It doesn't represent the millions of decent humans living in Nigeria or born of Nigerian parents.

Instead of being labeled by the high amounts of Nigerians that are educated, that are in positions of power all over the globe. Nigerians have created amazing and successful lives no matter where they're located, this is always overlooked.

‘Put South Africa First’ Breeds Hate Toward Other Africans

Anti-foreigner sentiments are growing against Nigerians like me.

In the wake of the coronavirus, anti-foreigner sentiments are growing in South Africa. In September, thousands of South Africans marched along the streets with banners and placards demanding that Nigerians, Zimbabweans, and other foreigners leave their country. The protesters claimed that foreigners are taking away their jobs and committing crimes such as drugs and trafficking—the same narratives that have been used to attack foreigners and their properties in the past.

As a Nigerian living in South Africa, I’ve become all too aware of how many people feel about me and my compatriots. It’s a bitter form of discrimination in a country that’s proud of being a so-called rainbow nation itself—one that takes some of the old bigotries of apartheid and repurposes them against other Africans. The divisions weaponized against Black South Africans are now used against foreigners. South Africa’s last census of 2011 showed that there were 2.2 million foreigners living in the country—and the numbers have grown since. We’re all in the firing line.

Source: FP Foreign Policy

Nigeria and South Africa have a love-hate relationship: the continent needs them closer

South African companies are well represented in Nigeria but there are few Nigerian companies in South Africa. South Africa imported US$2.48 billion worth of goods from Nigeria in 2020 predominantly crude oil, and exported US$425 million’s worth to Nigeria.

It is significant too that President Ramaphosa will be visiting Nigeria first in his West African tour. He will go on to Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal.

A meeting between Nigeria and South Africa is always a reminder of the cultural and social bonds that both countries have invested in over a long period, but have underutilised.

For example, Nigeria contributed to the emancipation of South Africa from the grip of apartheid. Nigeria’s civil servants paid a so-called Mandela Tax to support the Africa National Congress in fighting apartheid.

South Africa equally was at the fore front of the fight against the dictatorial regime of Sani Abacha in 1995.

Source: The Conversation

Johannesburg, South Africa — Nigeria might have become a "sleeping giant", but remains a formidable regional power. Abuja must respond strongly to Accra's diplomatic breach, and use this opportunity to tackle Ghana's xenophobic disposition at the bilateral level and within ECOWAS's mediation structures.

On June 19, several armed Ghanaian citizens demolished the residential building of the Nigerian High Commission in Accra with a bulldozer. This incident shocked the Nigerian community in Ghana, and the Nigerian administration of Muhammadu Buhari, which condemned the attack. Ghanaian president, Nana Akuffo-Addo, apologised for the incident, called for investigation into it, and promised to rebuild the embassy housing. Even though information emerged that the Nigerian government had failed to obtain the land title-deed for the property, this situation should have been dealt with diplomatically. This unusual act may not have fallen under what West Africans would term a traditional act of "rascality." However, it is the height of lawlessness and an affront to Ghana's commitment to the rule of law. Once again, the West African sub-regional body, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), failed to react to this indirect act of aggression towards Nigeria.

Source: All Africa

There are some 219 million Nigerians living in Nigeria. Every corner of the world has a Nigerian population, every where and they aren't all criminals. The narrative that they’re troublesome comes from that one story you’ve heard from some site you can’t even recall.

These are the same types of words that are said about Black Americans calling them thugs, criminals, thieves and liars. Oddly enough some Nigerians speak this way about Black Americans, if ever two groups were pigeonholed into stereotypical roles it’s the Nigerians & Black Americans.

According to old data from 2019 there were about 400,000 Nigerians living in the United States. A number I believe is relatively low and very much off the mark.

Of medical professionals in the US 28–30% of all doctors are immigrants. Of that number including doctors, nurses, physician assistance, basically the medical field some 10–13% are Nigerians. The majority of Nigerians in the United States are employed and/or attending institutions of higher learning.