Xenophobia: Attack on S/African businesses in Nigeria will hurt Nigerians more – FG

The federal government of Nigeria has appealed to Nigerians not to attack the South African businesses operating in Nigeria in retaliation for the ongoing xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 3, in Abuja, the minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that targeting South African businesses in Nigeria, like Shoprite and MTN, for attack over Xenophobia would hurt Nigerians more.

He said attacking South African companies in Nigeria was, for Nigerians, “a classic case of cutting off your nose to spite your face”.

According to the minister, the investors in such South African companies in Nigeria, especially MTN and Shoprite, are Nigerians.

He said the majority of the workers in the South African companies operating in Nigeria are also Nigerians.

“This means that, Nigerian workers will be hardest hit if such companies are forced to shut down for fear of attacks,” he said Mohammed, described as “deeply disturbing” the reports that some Nigerians, angered by the xenophobic attacks in South Africa, had started attacking South African companies in Nigeria.