The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket major South African-owned companies operating in Nigeria following renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa that reportedly claimed the lives of some Nigerians.
The student body said the planned action is a response to what it described as continued violence against Nigerians living in South Africa, insisting that such attacks can no longer be ignored.
In a statement issued by Zone D Coordinator, Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, NANS said it is mobilising for what it called “peaceful picketing and mass advocacy” targeting South African corporate interests in Nigeria.
The association specifically mentioned telecommunications giant MTN Group and pay-TV operator MultiChoice Group as potential targets of the protest action.
NANS argued that it is unacceptable for Nigerians to face violence abroad while companies from the same country continue to operate freely and profit within Nigeria.
The group said the planned demonstrations would remain peaceful but firm, aimed at drawing attention to what it describes as a “moral contradiction” in the relationship between both countries.
According to the statement, the continued targeting of Nigerians in South Africa must end immediately, warning that silence or inaction would no longer be tolerated by Nigerian students.
The association added that the planned picketing is part of a broader campaign of advocacy and public pressure intended to push for stronger diplomatic and humanitarian responses to the attacks.
NANS South-West stressed that its actions are not directed at inciting violence but at holding multinational companies accountable through lawful protest mechanisms.
The development comes amid growing outrage in Nigeria over reports of xenophobic violence in South Africa, a recurring diplomatic flashpoint between both nations.
