Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has confirmed his redeployment as Nigeria’s Ambassador-Designate to South Africa, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the change following his personal request.
Fani-Kayode disclosed this in a statement posted on his official X account, where he explained that his reassignment from Germany to South Africa came after he formally requested a change in posting for personal reasons.
His redeployment comes amid renewed xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa, a development that has heightened diplomatic concerns and drawn strong reactions from the Nigerian government.
According to Fani-Kayode, shortly after his initial posting to Germany was announced, he wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, expressing discomfort with the European posting and requesting to be assigned to South Africa instead.
He said, “I made a formal representation to the then Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, that I was not comfortable with Germany for several personal reasons and given the fact that I had lived in Europe most of my life, I would prefer to go to South Africa, which is a country that I had never been to and for which I have so much interest.”
He added that his interest in South Africa was influenced by what he described as shared political convictions and values, as well as the country’s strategic economic influence on the African continent and its relationship with Nigeria.
Fani-Kayode said his request was favourably considered by the foreign minister and subsequently forwarded to President Tinubu, who approved the redeployment.
“I therefore made an application for a redeployment to South Africa two days after the initial announcement was made, and I am pleased to say that after the then Foreign Minister heard my reasons, he considered them favourably after which he conveyed the request to Mr. President, who graciously approved it,” he stated.
The former minister also dismissed reports alleging that Germany rejected him as Nigeria’s envoy, describing the claims as false, irresponsible, and insulting.
He disclosed that he had instructed his lawyers to commence legal action, including a defamation suit, against those behind the reports.
His appointment comes at a period of renewed tension involving Nigerians residing in South Africa, following recent attacks and reports of harassment targeting foreign nationals.
In response to the situation, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, recently held discussions with South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, as diplomatic efforts intensified over the safety of Nigerians and the possible evacuation of citizens willing to return home.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu had stated that the Nigerian government would not stand by and watch the harassment, humiliation, or extrajudicial killings of its citizens abroad, stressing that the safety and possible evacuation of affected Nigerians remained a priority.
Although Fani-Kayode’s statement focused on clarifying the circumstances surrounding his redeployment and debunking reports of a rejection by Germany, he did not directly comment on the ongoing attacks against Nigerians in South Africa or outline the diplomatic priorities he intends to pursue in his new role.
His appointment places him at the centre of one of Nigeria’s most sensitive diplomatic relationships on the continent at a time of renewed concerns over the safety and welfare of Nigerians living in South Africa.
