Fani-Kayode Vows to Rebuild Nigeria–South Africa Ties, Protect Nigerians

…As envoy arrives in Johannesburg, receives rousing welcome from Nigerians

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria’s newly designated High Commissioner to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode, has pledged to rebuild strained relations between Nigeria and South Africa and make the protection of Nigerians living in the country a priority, declaring that his diplomatic mission will focus on restoring friendship, deepening economic cooperation and strengthening African unity.

Fani-Kayode made the commitment on Sunday upon arriving in Johannesburg to begin his assignment, which also covers the Kingdoms of Lesotho and Eswatini, at a time when concerns over tensions between Nigerians and South Africans have reinforced the need for sustained diplomatic engagement between the two countries.

Speaking to journalists on arrival, the envoy said his primary responsibility, following his appointment by President Bola Tinubu, was to rebuild the bridge of friendship and cooperation between the two countries while safeguarding the interests of Nigerians in South Africa.

He stressed that Nigeria and South Africa, two of Africa’s largest economies and most influential countries, must work together to advance their shared interests rather than allow differences to undermine their relations.

His arrival was marked by a large gathering of Nigerians and well-wishers at O. R. Tambo International Airport, where he was received by senior officials of Nigeria’s diplomatic mission and members of the Nigerian community.

The crowd welcomed him with songs, cultural displays and expressions of excitement, with representatives of Nigerian professional, cultural, religious, student and political organisations turning out to receive the new envoy.

Among those present were former Chargé d’Affaires of the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, Ambassador Temitope Ajayi; Nigeria’s Consul-General in Johannesburg, Ambassador Ninikanwa Okey-Uche; and Puleng Chaba, Acting Director for West Africa at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).

The reception brought together representatives of the Nigerian Union South Africa (NUSA), Nigerian Citizens Association South Africa (NICASA), Nigeria Doctors Forum, Nigerian Lawyers Association, Group of Nigerian Professionals Johannesburg and the National Association of Nigerian Students South Africa.

Also represented were the Congress of Nigerian Students at the University of Johannesburg, All Progressives Congress in South Africa, City Boys South Africa, Egbe Omo Yoruba Association, Association of Yoruba in Diaspora South Africa, Yoruba Leaders Council, Igbo Union South Africa, Ohanaeze South Africa, Nigerian Muslim Community South Africa, Arewa Union South Africa, Niger Delta Association and Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives South Africa, among others.

The strong turnout highlighted the importance of engagement between Nigeria’s diplomatic mission and the sizeable Nigerian community in South Africa as Fani-Kayode begins his assignment.

However, beyond the celebratory reception, the envoy faces the challenge of translating his pledge to rebuild relations into concrete diplomatic progress, particularly on concerns affecting Nigerians and the broader relationship between Abuja and Pretoria.

Fani-Kayode is expected to engage South African authorities on issues affecting Nigerians, promote their protection and encourage dialogue to address tensions and strengthen peaceful coexistence between citizens of both countries.

His agenda is also expected to include expanding economic and cultural partnerships, improving people-to-people relations and strengthening cooperation on regional and continental issues.

The relationship between Nigeria and South Africa carries significance beyond their bilateral ties. Both countries play influential roles in African diplomacy, regional security, trade and economic development, giving their cooperation implications for wider continental integration.

Fani-Kayode said the two countries had a shared responsibility to promote peace, economic prosperity, regional stability and African unity.

A firm advocate of Pan-Africanism, he has emphasised the need for African nations to work together to address common challenges, protect the dignity of their citizens and advance the continent’s collective interests.

His mission is therefore expected to extend beyond managing diplomatic relations to strengthening the practical links between the two countries, including opportunities for trade, investment, cultural exchange and institutional cooperation.

For Nigerians living in South Africa, the immediate expectation will be that the new High Commissioner’s pledge to protect their interests translates into effective engagement with the host government and responsive diplomatic support when difficulties arise.

For both countries, the wider test will be whether renewed dialogue can build confidence, manage areas of friction and strengthen cooperation between two major African powers.

Fani-Kayode’s arrival marks the beginning of that task, with the reception from Nigerians in Johannesburg providing an early show of support as he takes up a posting whose success will be measured not only by diplomatic engagements but also by tangible improvements in bilateral relations and the welfare of Nigerians abroad.

Fani-Kayode Vows to Rebuild Nigeria–South Africa Ties, Protect Nigerians

UNODC Country Representative Calls for African-led Counter-Terrorism Cooperation and Intelligence Sharing

By: Michael Mike

Africa must strengthen cooperation, intelligence sharing and the responsible use of emerging technologies to confront terrorism and related crimes, the Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Mr Cheikh Toure, has said.

Toure made the call at the opening ceremony of the High-level African Lessons Learned Forum on Counter Terrorism Cooperation, Intelligence Sharing and Emerging Technologies, organised by the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) in Abuja on Monday.

He said the forum should remain focused on the people affected by terrorism, including farmers unable to access their fields, children whose education had been disrupted and security personnel working under difficult conditions.

“We are here for them, and we owe them honesty,” he said.

Toure said terrorism had gained a foothold in Africa at a scale that few had anticipated, with the Sahel now accounting for more than half of terrorism-related deaths worldwide.

He noted that four African countries—Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Niger and the Democratic Republic of the Congo—were among the five countries responsible for almost 70 per cent of the global death toll recorded in the previous year.

He described the counter-terrorism practitioners gathered at the forum as among the most experienced in the world because of the realities they had been forced to confront.

According to him, the threat continues to evolve, with foreign terrorist fighters moving across regions, terrorist groups cooperating with organised criminal networks, improvised explosive devices spreading and drones, digital content and artificial intelligence being used against vulnerable communities.

“The groups we confront cross borders with a fluency that too often exceeds our own. Our response must be equally fluent and it must be African-led,” he said.

The UNODC representative cautioned against applying international counter-terrorism practices without adapting them to local institutional realities.

He said procedures developed for well-resourced systems could become burdensome when transferred uncritically to countries with different capacities and operational environments.

He urged African institutions to treat international good practice as a reference point rather than a rigid template.

Toure commended the National Counter Terrorism Centre under the leadership of its National Coordinator, Major General Adamu Garba Laka, for adapting international guidance to Nigeria’s operational needs.

He said the NCTC’s Strategic Plan 2025–2030 provided a framework for translating guidance on evidence management, intelligence analysis, rehabilitation and reintegration into practical procedures that frontline officers could use.

“That is not imitation. That is authorship,” he said.

Toure also called for institutions to document lessons from investigations, cases and community engagement and use them to improve training, standard operating procedures and technology choices.

He described this process as the creation of a “living knowledge bank”, adding that Nigeria had made significant contributions to it.

He cited Nigeria’s National Strategy for Combating Organised Crime 2027–2031, launched by the National Security Adviser in August and developed under the Office of the National Security Adviser with UNODC technical support.

The strategy, he said, recognised the links between terrorism, trafficking and illicit finance and treated them as part of a connected criminal ecosystem.

He added that UNODC was working with the NCTC on a fusion-cell architecture intended to make inter-agency intelligence sharing routine rather than exceptional.

On terrorist financing, Toure said the NCTC and UNODC had inaugurated a working group on criminal and terrorist finance in the mineral sector.

He said the initiative was designed to address the channels through which terrorism could obtain financial support.

He also cited Nigeria’s exit from the Financial Action Task Force grey list as evidence of what disciplined, evidence-led cooperation could achieve, adding that Nigeria had offered to share its experience with other African countries.

Toure further highlighted cooperation between NCTC and UNODC experts to refine a toolkit for first responders dealing with sexual and gender-based violence linked to terrorism.

He said the work demonstrated that effective partnership was often built through sustained technical engagement rather than public ceremonies.

Addressing participants from the Sahel and Francophone Africa in French, Toure said the threat affected communities across linguistic and national boundaries and that cooperation must reflect the same reality.

He assured them that UNODC would continue to support their efforts with humility and consistency.

Toure said UNODC would work within African frameworks, including the African Union, ECOWAS and the Abuja Process, rather than operating alongside or outside them.

He also pledged continued support for institutions such as the NCTC so that they could develop into regional centres of reference.

He stressed that counter-terrorism measures rooted in human rights were not a weaker option but the most sustainable approach.

“Africa has much to teach the world about this threat. For the next two days, we are all here to learn,” he said.

The forum was attended by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; the National Coordinator of the NCTC, Major General Adamu Garba Laka; members of the diplomatic community; representatives of partner institutions; the European Union; and the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism.

Toure thanked the National Security Adviser and the NCTC leadership for convening the forum, as well as the European Union and the UN Office of Counter-Terrorism for supporting the Federal Government of Nigeria.

He said the shared objective of the participants was to contribute to a safer Africa for all its people.

UNODC Country Representative Calls for African-led Counter-Terrorism Cooperation and Intelligence Sharing

Dabiri-Erewa Urges Nigeria to Harness Global Expertise of Diaspora Professionals

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria could unlock greater opportunities for national development by connecting the expertise, investments and global networks of its citizens abroad to local priorities, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said, as she celebrated Nigerians attaining influential positions in international healthcare, academia, corporate leadership and other sectors.

Dabiri-Erewa said the achievements demonstrated the depth of talent within Nigeria’s diaspora community, stressing that the country must move beyond celebrating individual successes to building partnerships that translate their expertise into tangible benefits at home.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, she linked the achievements to President Bola Tinubu’s 4Ds foreign policy agenda of Development, Democracy, Demography and Diaspora, which recognises Nigerians abroad as strategic partners in national progress.

Among those recognised was Dr Zainab Shinkafi-Bagudu, who assumed office as president of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) for the 2026–2028 term, becoming the first African and Nigerian to lead the global organisation.

Her appointment places a Nigerian at the helm of an international body focused on advancing cancer prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and care. The role also presents an opportunity to strengthen global engagement on cancer control, including advocacy for improved access to services and better outcomes for patients.

Professor Ibrahim Abubakar was also recognised following his appointment as chief executive officer-designate of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a global partnership focused on developing vaccines and strengthening preparedness against epidemics and pandemics.

Abubakar, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London and its vice-provost for health, is expected to join CEPI in March 2027 and assume the chief executive role in April. He brings more than three decades of experience spanning medicine, epidemiology, public health research and international health policy.

His appointment comes at a time when international cooperation on vaccine development and pandemic preparedness remains central to efforts to respond to emerging infectious diseases.

Dabiri-Erewa also celebrated Dr Bolu Ogunyemi, a Nigerian-born physician elected to lead the Canadian Medical Association. Ogunyemi, a clinical associate professor of medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland, became the first Black physician to head the association.

His professional experience spans clinical practice, medical education, administration and healthcare advocacy, placing him in a leadership position within Canada’s medical profession.

In academia and public service, Professor Christian Harrison was recognised for his reported appointment to the United Kingdom’s Government Skills College of Experts, which brings together academics and practitioners to provide specialist knowledge and evidence-based advice on strengthening government skills and public-sector capacity.

Ugwechi Amadi was recognised for her appointment as senior vice-president and chief strategy officer of McDonald’s, the global restaurant company. She joined the company in July after serving as executive vice-president and head of corporate strategy and development at LIV Golf.

Amadi previously held leadership roles at Nike and Boston Consulting Group. Her appointment places her in a senior corporate position involving strategy, business development and organisational growth at a major multinational company.

Dabiri-Erewa also highlighted Dr Salamat Ahuoiza Aliu-Ibrahim, Nigeria’s first female neurosurgeon, whose appointment as medical director of a children’s hospital in the United States was reported by NiDCOM and Nigerian media. Aliu-Ibrahim trained in neurosurgery in Nigeria before moving to the United States, where she now practises paediatrics.

Her career has drawn attention to the achievements of Nigerian women in highly specialised medical fields, as well as the challenges involved in retaining and supporting skilled healthcare professionals within the country.

The commission also celebrated Ifeanyi Ruth Umunna, who was elected co-president of Harvard Law School’s student government for the 2026–2027 academic year, alongside Tenzin Yonten. The student government represents students’ interests and works on issues affecting their welfare and participation in school governance.

Umunna’s election adds student leadership and legal education to the range of fields in which Nigerians are attaining positions of influence internationally.

The achievements span global health advocacy, epidemic preparedness, medical leadership, public-sector expertise, corporate strategy, specialised medicine and legal education. Together, they illustrate the breadth of professional experience within Nigeria’s diaspora community and the potential for that experience to contribute to national development.

Dabiri-Erewa called for stronger knowledge exchange, mentoring initiatives, investment partnerships and institutional cooperation between Nigerians abroad and organisations at home.

Such links could help Nigerian universities and research institutions establish international collaborations, improve professional training and widen access to specialist expertise. In healthcare, for example, partnerships with diaspora doctors and researchers could support training, research and knowledge sharing, while collaboration with professionals in corporate leadership and technology could create opportunities for investment, entrepreneurship and access to international markets.

The diaspora’s contribution to development, therefore, extends beyond financial remittances to include professional networks, specialised skills, research partnerships and the ability to connect Nigerian institutions with global opportunities.

However, converting individual accomplishments into lasting national benefits would require sustained engagement and practical arrangements through which diaspora expertise could be applied to local priorities. These could include structured mentoring programmes, research partnerships, professional exchanges and investment initiatives linking Nigerians abroad with institutions and businesses at home.

Dabiri-Erewa said the achievements aligned with Tinubu’s 4Ds foreign policy agenda, which places Development, Democracy, Demography and Diaspora at the centre of Nigeria’s international engagement.

She maintained that Nigerians abroad should be recognised not only for their individual accomplishments but also for the opportunities their expertise and global connections could create for the country.

The commission’s recognition of the professionals also highlights the role of international achievement in projecting Nigeria’s image and encouraging younger Nigerians to pursue excellence in fields where the country needs stronger expertise and institutional capacity.

For Nigeria, the broader challenge is to build enduring relationships with accomplished citizens abroad so that their experience, networks and investments can support stronger institutions, wider economic opportunities and improved public services at home.

Dabiri-Erewa Urges Nigeria to Harness Global Expertise of Diaspora Professionals