President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has refused to meet a special delegation from South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, who arrived in Abuja without prior notice.

The delegation, led by South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, insisted on meeting Tinubu directly to deliver a message about recent xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa.However, officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs deemed the request inappropriate, scheduling the meeting for Monday instead.Tinubu then directed the envoy to meet his State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, to discuss the matter.

The incident highlights ongoing tensions between Nigeria and South Africa over xenophobic violence, which has recently intensified against Nigerian nationals.Sources indicate that the delegation’s arrival caught Nigerian authorities off guard, leading to a diplomatic reroute.This development underscores the complex relationship between the two nations amid rising ethnic tensions in South Africa.