Xenophobia: Nigeria boycotts WEF in South Africa

The Nigerian government has withdrawn its participation from the World Economic Forum (WEF) hosted by South Africa.

The forum kicked off on Wednesday, September 4, 2019, under a cloud of xenophobic attacks that have been witnessed in South Africa in the past few days.

South African mobs had launched attacks on foreigners, including Nigerians, and looted and burnt their places of business in suburbs of Johannesburg and surrounding areas on Sunday, September 1, and Monday, September 2.

While President Muhammadu Buhari sent an unnamed special envoy to South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa to register his concerns over the attacks, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Malawi were rumoured to have withdrawn from the annual event, although there were no official confirmations.

However, Buhari's media aide, Bashir Ahmad, confirmed on Wednesday that the Nigerian government has pulled out of the event.

"Nigerian government has boycotted the World Economic Forum holding in Cape Town, South Africa," he posted on Twitter.

Ahmad said Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was set to represent Nigeria at the summit before the government withdrew its participation in protest of the attacks.

Critics have accused Buhari of not doing enough to pressure South Africa into putting an end to xenophobic attacks suffered by Nigerians.

However, the president has also recalled Nigeria's Ambassador to South Africa, Kabiru Bala, back to the country on Wednesday.

He also met with Osinbajo and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, at the State House in Abuja to discuss Nigeria's diplomatic approach towards the situation.