Former foreign minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar has condemned the targeting of Nigerians and other black Africans in South Africa. He said discrimination against fellow Africans betrays the ideals of Pan-Africanism. This Day reported his remarks, and AllAfrica republished them.
Tuggar spoke on Thursday in Lagos at the 2026 end-of-year event of The Bridge Club. He chaired the event, whose theme was "Xenophobia Contradicts Pan-Africanism". Kenyan scholar and Pan-African advocate Professor P.L.O. Lumumba gave the keynote address.
Tuggar said Afrophobia describes the problem better than xenophobia, because non-black Africans appear to be exempted. "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," he said. He recalled Nigeria's support for victims of apartheid and for liberation movements in South Africa, Namibia and Angola.
The former minister said African unity will remain incomplete without economic integration, industrial growth and free movement of people across borders. He called the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) a key tool for Pan-Africanism. He urged countries to build up manufacturing and regional economic cooperation. He also called for stronger ties between Nigeria and South Africa. He said that partnership is essential to the continent's future. He warned against letting historical divisions and outside influences weaken African solidarity.
Tuggar also said African societies often fail to use the experience of former public officials. He noted that other countries have set up formal ways for former office holders to help shape and carry out policy.
The Bridge Club's president, Abdulhakeem Mustapha (SAN), said Africa must go beyond political declarations. He said the continent must show real unity in how it treats its citizens. "Pan-Africanism must mean more than political declarations, diplomatic conferences and economic treaties," he said. He questioned why Africans are mistreated in other African countries because of their nationality, ethnicity or origin. He added that no African nation can build lasting prosperity, security and dignity at the expense of another.
Mustapha also reflected on his nine years as the club's president. Diplomats, business leaders, lawyers and public servants attended the event.