Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, senator representing Kogi central, has called on the federal government and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to adopt reciprocal measures against countries that subject Nigerians to unfair treatment.
The senator made the call in a statement issued on her official Facebook page on Thursday.
Akpoti-Uduaghan said Nigeria should not remain passive when its citizens are treated unfairly abroad.
“I call on the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Federal Government of Nigeria to review the visa applications of South African artistes and their entourages in accordance with the principle of reciprocity in foreign policy,” she said.
The lawmaker described reciprocity as a recognised instrument of diplomacy, saying discriminatory treatment of Nigerians abroad should carry consequences.
“When our citizens face discriminatory or unjust treatment abroad, Nigeria must demonstrate that such actions carry corresponding consequences,” she said.
Akpoti-Uduaghan urged the federal government to ensure Nigeria’s foreign policy protects the dignity of its citizens wherever they may be.
“Our foreign policy should protect the dignity of Nigerians everywhere and ensure that respect between nations is mutual, not one-sided,” she added.
The call comes amid heightened diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and South Africa over the treatment of Nigerians living in the country.
Last week, the federal government demanded a transparent investigation into the death of Ibeh Chika Simon, a Nigerian who died during a South African police operation in Bellville, Cape Town, after videos showed officers allegedly assaulting him.
The Nigerian Consulate General in Johannesburg condemned the incident, saying it came after another Nigerian, Patrick Chuks Egwabor, was shot and seriously injured, while describing the cases as part of a disturbing pattern of unresolved extrajudicial killings and misconduct against foreign nationals.
The federal government has also repatriated 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa this year following a wave of xenophobic violence, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterating that xenophobia, racial intolerance and violence against foreign nationals are unacceptable.
