Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says South Africa would not have been able to end apartheid when it did without Nigeria’s sustained support for the struggle against white minority rule.
South Africa held its first democratic, non-racial elections in 1994, bringing decades of apartheid to an end.
Speaking in an interview on C-Suite Cafe with Ikem Okuhu, Obasanjo said Nigeria’s intervention was driven by principle — the belief that no person should be treated as inferior because of their skin colour.
The former military Head of State stressed that Nigeria’s support for liberation movements across Southern Africa was not motivated by any expectation of financial or political reward.
“We were not doing what we did in South Africa or in Southern Africa or decolonisation anywhere for our personal gain or for our country. We did it for our race,” Obasanjo said.
“I believe that no black man anywhere or black person anywhere should be regarded as an inferior human being because of his colour.”
He described Nigeria’s role as “enlightened self-interest,” noting that while the country did not act in anticipation of returns, it understood that the freedom of Black people everywhere was tied to its own dignity.
Obasanjo said Nigeria has every reason to be proud of its contribution, insisting its role was decisive in the eventual collapse of apartheid.
“And for me, and I believe for Nigeria at that time and even now, we should be proud of what we did because without Nigeria, South Africa would not have got rid of apartheid when it got rid of it. That is true,” he said.
He recalled that Nigeria worked closely with several African and world leaders during the anti-apartheid campaign and the broader decolonisation struggle, including former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere, former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda, former Mozambican President Samora Machel, former US President Jimmy Carter, former British Prime Minister James Callaghan, and former Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme.
The former president also condemned xenophobic attacks on African migrants in South Africa, saying authorities have not done enough to address the problem.
While acknowledging that some foreigners may be living in the country illegally or involved in criminal activities, he said such cases should be handled through lawful processes, not violence.
“I do not believe that you use illegality to treat illegality, asking and encouraging area boys and area girls to break into their houses and break into their shops,” he said.
Obasanjo dismissed claims that migrants are generally taking jobs from South Africans, noting that many foreigners contribute to the economy and create employment.
