Nigeria has decided to pull out of the World Economic Forum on Africa, holding in Capetown, South Africa, from September 4-6 over the recent attacks on her nationals.
Similarly, the country’s High Commissioner, to South Africa, Ambassador Kabiru Bala, is being recalled for consultation on the circumstances that led to the xenophobia against Nigerians and other Africans in that country.
A credible source in the Presidency also informed journalists on Wednesday that Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo was earlier scheduled to represent Nigeria at the World Economic Forum on Africa but that has now been put aside.
This latest Federal Government posture is the outcome of a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari, Professor Osinbajo and Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, on the raging xenophobic attacks of Nigeria in South Africa.
On Tuesday, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Malawi all pulled out of the forum, due to current attacks in South Africa.
Presidents Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Felix Tshisekedi (DRC) and Peter Mutharika (Malawi) have all withdrawn from the event.
Nigeria had earlier demanded for full compensation for the victims of the attacks, thorough investigations of the remote and immediate causes of this latest attacks against Africans and some Asians, by black South Africans.
Ime Njoku
