Nigerian Government has issued a travel advisory cautioning citizens against travelling to Australia, citing widespread incidents of verbal abuse, harassment and discrimination targeting foreigners by Australian government officials and citizens.
The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, issued the advisory in a statement this week following a similar warning from the Australian government warning it’s citizens against coming to Nigeria.
The Nigerian Government explained that there has been a recent surge in anti-Semitic and Islamophobic hate crimes in Australia that has heightened concerns over lives of foreigners in the country.
According to a post by Premium Times , there was a case of vandalisation of a Jewish neighbourhood in Sydney in December 2024.
There was also a report by CNN that said vandals set a car on fire and sprayed graffiti with anti Israel slogans in an area considered to be Australia’s largest Jewish community.
The Ministry considered the incident as part of a broader increase in both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents getting rampant in Australia.
It said it is also “coinciding with international conflicts and tensions”.
The Ministry therefore “advised Nigerians to be mindful of the prevailing cultural and social dynamics to ensure their safety and comfort. To this end, extra vigilance and necessary precautions are strongly recommended “.
The statement went on to ask Nigerian travelers and residents of Australia who experience or witness any form of racist attack or harassment to contact the High Commission of Nigeria in Australia at 25 Guilfoyle St, Yarralumia ACT 2600, Canberra, Australia.
The advisory was considered by analysts to be retaliatory especially as it’s coming after the Australian government advised it’s citizens against visiting Nigeria citing escalating security concerns. The Australian Government had attributed it’s travel warning to concerns over terrorism, kidnapping, unsafe consumables, poor health intervention, violent crimes and potential for civil unrest.
It described Nigeria’s security environment as both volatile and unpredictable, noting that it could either be indiscriminate or target foreigners.
The advisory specifically identified some states in the federation as “no travel zones”. The states named are Adamawa, Anambra, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Kaduna,bKano, Niger, Rivers, Yobe and Zamfara. These states were described as having “elevated security threats”.
Some analysts believe that Nigeria’s quick response to what they consider the Australian “bullshit” is excellent diplomacy, especially at a period where there is a lot of insecurity all over the world but the Western world repeatedly blows up Africa’s own, making it look like Africa’s problems are the worst in the world.
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