Federal Government has hinted at possible retaliatory measures against the estimated 120 South African companies operating in Nigeria following continued violent attacks on its nationals resident in the southern African country.

This is also as the government stated that such action will be with the endorsement of the National Assembly.

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Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this on Thursday, when she featured in an interview, Wednesday afternoon, on TVC News, while reacting to reports of renewed hostility towards foreign nationals, including Nigerians, in parts of South Africa.

The minister said though Nigeria had exercised restraint and continued to pursue diplomatic engagements, the government might be compelled to explore other options if the attacks persist.

“As I indicated before, there are these huge conglomerates. By the way, there are over 120 South African companies operating in Nigeria.

“Nobody is asking them to provide proof of identity. Nobody is asking South African staff working there whether they are South Africans or Nigerians, and nobody is taking over their shops or businesses.

“But this is happening to Nigerians in South Africa. So, I think that at some point, we really have to review the options available to us.

“We have MTN, MultiChoice, Stanbic, Protea, and many other South African brands spanning multiple sectors,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.

The minister, however, stressed that any retaliatory measures would have to follow constitutional provisions and the due legislative process.

She explained that the Federal Government was currently engaging South African authorities through diplomatic channels, while the National Assembly would play a constitutional role in determining Nigeria’s response should those efforts fail.

The minister also disclosed that the South African authorities discarded their memorandum of understanding with Nigeria on the early warning mechanism, which they had signed in October 2025.

She added that the pact was essentially to protect the lives and property of both Nigerians and South Africans in times of conflict like this.

“When it comes to situations like this, of course, it is necessary to be temperate and exercise caution. But when your citizens are being harassed, when your citizens are people who have spent years there, and mind you, some of them are married to South Africans and have children who have known no other home but South Africa, then it becomes a serious concern.

“Now, under these circumstances, they are asking not just Nigerians, but also their South African spouses and their children, to leave South Africa,” the minister said.

Nigerian government has so far evacuated over 260 of its nationals in the first batch of the evacuation exercise, with more batches said to follow, as confirmed by the foreign affairs ministry, last week.