Nigeria’s President Umaru Yar-Adua embarks on a four-day state visit to South Africa today amid attempts by his country to seek compensation for victims of anti-immigrant violence.
“The president will leave Abuja on Monday and return on Thursday,” for a visit aimed at forging closer ties between Africa’s most populous country and its biggest economy, presidential spokesman Olusegun Adeniyi told AFP.
The visit has been overshadowed by widespread racist attacks that have targeted Nigerians among other foreigners living in South Africa.
Yar’Adua has said dialogue, and not retaliation, is the way to resolve the anti-foreigner sentiment that has affected scores of Nigerian residents living in Johannesburg.
Although no Nigerians have been among the 62 killed in the violence, many of them have lost their property or had their shops looted.
Nigerian Foreign Minister Ojo Maduekwe said last week that a list of those affected had been compiled with a view to pursuing compensation claims with the South African government.
Yar’Adua begins his official programme on Tuesday with a welcome ceremony by his South Africa counterpart Thabo Mbeki. The two leaders are expected to sign bilateral agreements before an official banquet.
On Wednesday Yar’Adua and Mbeki will participate in a Nigeria business forum, whereafter the Nigerian leader will address the World Economic Forum on Africa being held in Cape Town this week.
Having just marked his first year as president of Africa’s most populous country, Yar’Adua said in a live television interview that problems such as xenophobia needed to be resolved “through dialogue.”
“I am going to South Africa next week on a state visit. Nigeria is playing a very critical and important role on the African continent … so the issue of retaliation does not arise,” he said.
More than 60 people have been killed and tens of thousands of foreigners left homeless, mainly around Johannesburg, following two weeks of attacks which later spread to most parts of South Africa.
Many South African firms and investors are operating in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest market with 140 million people.
Prominent among them is MTN, a digital mobile firm with over 30 million subscribers.
Last week, South African deputy president, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka was in Nigeria to attend a three-day meeting of the Nigeria/South Africa bi-national commission.
The commission was set up to foster stronger economic ties between the two African giants.