By Clifford Amuzuo
The Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has emphasized the need for effective communication of Nigeria ‘a foreign Policy in view of heightening Xenophobic attacks in South Africa and Africa continent.
Xenophobic attacks in South Africa, frequently targeting African migrants, have resurfaced in 2026, featuring violence against foreign-owned businesses in cities like Durban and Johannesburg.
The Institute’s criticism comes. on the heels of various regional concerns, repatriation efforts by Nigeria and condemnation from the South African government.
Voicing the Institute’s resentments of the attacks recently was Chairman of Nigeria Rereputation Management Group (NRMG), Yomi -Badajo Okusanya while featuring on an interactive television media program.
Okusanya condemned critically, Xenophobic attacks across Africa describing the trend as ugly and highly regrettable. He emphasized on the need for continuous effective communication of foreign policies of Nigeria and other African countries to educate and enlighten their citizens on tenets of international respectability of the individual rights .
Dwelling on the significant role and importance of Communication in Policy formulation and implementation , the Institute’s boss regretted that Nigeria’s Africa centered foreign policy and others such as the Operation Feed the Nation under Obasanjo presidency were never effectively communicated to the citizenry.
“I was a young man in the 70s, I knew what the foreign policy of Nigeria was. Africa was the central Policy of Nigeria’s foreign policy. I knew it, I was a young man in the junior secondary school then, I was in my early teens and how did I know tthat . So, You, tell me today what is Nigeria’s foreign policy,. An not taking a dig at any government, am not taking a dig at any administration. Let’s talk about agriculture or Food Security, and I ask, what is our policy, is it well communicated, definitely the answer is no”.
So if I grew up knowing that, for instance, there is a lot of xenophobia going on in South Africa right now, and it saddens me because I know what that did to me, when I knew that Africa is the central piece of of our foreign policy.
Okusanya further highlighted the opportunity benefits in Nigeria’s planned hosting of 2026 World Public Relations Forum , an event which is expected to hold much later in course of the year.
According to him, the event will bring, among other things, positive projection of Nigeria’s image as a global force of reckoning across the world
