By David Torough, Abuja

Nigeria’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has warned that Nigeria’s patience is wearing thin over persistent xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals, urging South Africa to end the hostility and embrace the spirit of Pan-African solidarity that helped secure its freedom from apartheid.

The envoy said the growing attacks on African migrants represented a betrayal of the sacrifices made by Nigeria and other African countries during South Africa’s liberation struggle, recalling Nigeria’s estimated $61 billion contribution to the campaign against white minority rule.

Fani-Kayode issued the warning at the inaugural Nigerian Fair, held at the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg, where he called on South Africans to acknowledge the enormous support their country received from across the continent.

He maintained that South Africa’s liberation was not achieved through the efforts of black South Africans alone but through the collective sacrifices of African nations, particularly Nigeria and the frontline states, as well as other international allies.

“It wasn’t a black South African struggle. It was a struggle that every nation in Africa, led primarily by the frontline states and Nigeria, and every decent civilised nation in the world supported,” he said.

The High Commissioner recalled how Nigeria mobilised its citizens from different walks of life to finance the anti-apartheid struggle, including civil servants, students and schoolchildren.

He specifically highlighted the establishment of the Southern Africa Relief Fund in 1976, popularly known as the Mandela Tax, through which Nigerian workers voluntarily surrendered portions of their salaries to support the African National Congress (ANC) and other liberation activities.

Even Nigerian schoolchildren, he noted, contributed their lunch money towards the campaign, demonstrating the depth of public commitment to South Africa’s freedom.

Beyond financial contributions, Fani-Kayode said Nigeria provided diplomatic, educational and material assistance to liberation movements, offered scholarships to South Africans and consistently mobilised international opposition to apartheid at the United Nations and other global platforms.

He also recalled Nigeria’s support for frontline African states threatened by the apartheid regime and countries that provided shelter to South African liberation movements.

Describing the current wave of xenophobic hostility as retrogressive and inconsistent with the values that inspired Africa’s liberation movements, the envoy urged South Africans to reject Afrophobia and recognise the importance of their relationship with other African nations.

“We must understand that the world is coming together as one, and we must stand together as one,” he said.

He attributed the attacks to a minority driven by xenophobic sentiments, arguing that those responsible had lost sight of the historical bonds between South Africa and the rest of the continent.

Fani-Kayode called for stronger diplomatic and people-to-people relationships, insisting that disagreements, provocations and isolated incidents should not be allowed to destroy the longstanding friendship between the two countries.

He also appealed to Nigerians living in South Africa to exercise restraint and avoid retaliatory actions, stressing that national leaders must demonstrate responsibility even when their citizens are subjected to intimidation, violence or killings.

The envoy, however, acknowledged that frustration was mounting within the Nigerian government over the treatment of its nationals.

He warned that patience was increasingly running out in the corridors of power, although he ruled out calls for Nigeria to sever diplomatic and economic relations with South Africa.

According to him, both countries must resist actions that could undermine their longstanding partnership and continue to pursue cooperation in the interest of African unity and development.

He assured Nigerians residing in South Africa that the Federal Government remained committed to protecting their lives, safety and welfare.

Nigeria was one of the most prominent African supporters of the campaign against apartheid, the system of institutionalised racial segregation and white minority rule that governed South Africa until the country’s historic democratic elections in 1994.

Following the 1960 Sharpeville massacre, in which South African security forces killed 69 people protesting against apartheid pass laws, Nigeria intensified its opposition to the regime and expanded its support for liberation movements.

The establishment of the Southern Africa Relief Fund in 1976 further demonstrated the country’s commitment, as workers, students and ordinary Nigerians contributed financially to the struggle.

Nigeria also supported diplomatic efforts to isolate the apartheid government, backed international sanctions, provided educational opportunities to South Africans and assisted countries hosting anti-apartheid activists.

The struggle culminated in the historic 1994 elections, which ended apartheid and brought Nelson Mandela to power as South Africa’s first black president.

Three decades after that historic transition, however, recurring xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals continue to raise questions about African solidarity and the protection of migrants.

Fani-Kayode’s warning has therefore renewed calls for South Africa to confront xenophobia and preserve the spirit of brotherhood that once united the continent in the fight for its freedom.

By Julius Tambaya, Abuja

The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated a total of N1.419 trillion in revenue between September and October 2026, while recording seizures of prohibited and restricted goods with a combined duty-paid value exceeding N8.

The figures were disclosed by the NCS National Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Maiwada, during a joint security press briefing held last week at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, under the Office of the National Security Adviser.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Maiwada said the revenue performance reflected the service’s ongoing efforts to facilitate legitimate trade, improve cargo clearance procedures and strengthen revenue generation through digital initiatives and collaboration with stakeholders.

According to him, the service collected N697bn in September and N722bn in October, bringing its total revenue for the two-month period to approximately N1.4tn.

He explained that the NCS processed 9,195 Pre-Arrival Assessment Reports and 99,839 Single Goods Declarations within the period.

A breakdown showed that 2,102 PAARs were processed in September, compared with 7,093 in October. Similarly, the number of SGDs rose from 48,832 in September to 51,007 in October.

Maiwada also highlighted improvements in export trade facilitation, particularly at the Lilypond Export Command, noting the contribution of ongoing measures to promote non-oil exports.

He said the service had continued to strengthen enforcement operations, resulting in the interception of prohibited and restricted items valued at more than N8.1bn in duty-paid terms.

The seized items included illicit drugs, pharmaceutical products, prohibited goods and petroleum products.

He added that the NCS was working with relevant regulatory and security agencies to ensure the proper handling and disposal of confiscated items.

On its anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism responsibilities, Maiwada disclosed that the service was participating in an ongoing World Customs Organisation Mentoring Mission inaugurated on October 19, 2026.

The four-week programme, scheduled to run until November 13, is aimed at strengthening the capacity of customs officers to identify, investigate and tackle trade-based money laundering and other illicit financial activities linked to cross-border trade.

As part of the initiative, the NCS held engagements with six relevant agencies between October 27 and 29. The agencies included the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre.

Maiwada further disclosed that the service had transitioned to an electronic currency declaration platform to improve transparency, strengthen monitoring and enhance the detection of illicit financial flows across Nigeria’s borders.

He said the various initiatives demonstrated the service’s commitment to balancing trade facilitation, revenue generation and national security.

The Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has assured Nigerians experiencing reduced electricity supply in parts of the country of a swift restoration of normal supply.

Tegbe gave the assurance in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday evening in Lagos.

He said that electricity supply would soon improve in Lagos, Abuja, Ogun and Kwara, among other affected areas, which had recently recorded noticeable improvements in power supply before the current disruptions.

The minister acknowledged the inconvenience caused to households, businesses and public institutions, saying the government understood the frustration of consumers.

“We recognise what every hour without power means for individuals, families and businesses, and we do not take it lightly,” he said.

According to him, preliminary assessments indicate that the disruptions are not caused by any major or systemic failure of the national grid.

He attributed the outages to maintenance and operational challenges within parts of the power sector, alongside reduced electricity generation caused by gas supply constraints to thermal power stations and lower water inflows into hydroelectric reservoirs.

“All of these are being addressed,” he said.

Tegbe said that the ministry was working closely with the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and electricity Distribution Companies (DisCos) to restore normal supply.

He said that he had engaged the relevant operators to resolve operational challenges, accelerate ongoing maintenance and keep consumers informed of developments.

The minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to sustaining improvements in the power sector and enhancing the reliability and quality of electricity supply nationwide.

He thanked Nigerians for their patience and understanding, promising to provide further updates as restoration efforts progressed. (NAN)