The South African Presidency has released the full video of Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa, Femi Fani-Kayode’s speech at a diplomatic ceremony, following his protest over the omission of his address from the event’s initial livestream.
The footage, uploaded to the South African Presidency’s YouTube channel at about 4:23 pm on Friday, came roughly two hours after Fani-Kayode publicly raised concerns about the incident.
The ambassador had accused the presidency of deliberately excluding his introduction and speech during the presentation of letters of credence ceremony hosted by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Presidential Guest House in Pretoria.
According to Fani-Kayode, the introductions and addresses of ambassadors from 14 other countries were aired, while Nigeria’s presentation was omitted, with the livestream resuming after he had concluded his speech.
The newly released recording, however, showed Fani-Kayode delivering his address, in which he pledged to strengthen diplomatic and economic relations between Nigeria and South Africa.
Addressing Ramaphosa, the ambassador said part of his responsibility was to repair relations between the two countries and ensure that mutual concerns were resolved through cooperation.
“Nothing can come between the two of us. And part of my job here is to reset that relationship, to come and build that bridge, and to ensure that whatever concerns we have mutually, we can work them out and move forward together,” he said.
Fani-Kayode also recalled Nigeria’s support for South Africa during its struggle against apartheid, noting that both countries had maintained a longstanding relationship built on friendship and cooperation.
“We fought together. We stood by you. We gave our blood and our treasure for you during your dark days. And you have reciprocated in so many ways,” he said.
Describing Nigeria as South Africa’s largest trading partner on the African continent, the ambassador emphasised the need for closer collaboration between the two nations, particularly in advancing Africa’s development.
He said, “Without South Africa and Nigeria working together, closely together, the destiny of our great continent may well be affected.
“It is in our mutual interest and the interest of our people, indeed the interest of the world, for us to ensure that we stand tall, we stand strong, and we build that bridge.”
Fani-Kayode further commended South Africa’s positions on international affairs, including the Gaza conflict, its participation in the BRICS bloc and its advocacy for the Global South.
He also praised Ramaphosa’s efforts to secure Nigeria’s inclusion in the Group of 20 (G20).
The ambassador conveyed President Bola Tinubu’s goodwill to Ramaphosa, describing the Nigerian leader as a close friend of South Africa and the South African president.
“Your brother, our President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a great friend of South Africa and is a great friend of yours personally,” he said.
Fani-Kayode subsequently wished Ramaphosa, the ruling African National Congress and the South African people well before presenting his letters of credence alongside the letters of recall of his predecessor.
The ceremony marked the first posting of a substantive Nigerian ambassador to South Africa in four years, according to Fani-Kayode.
Earlier, the ambassador said he confronted Ramaphosa over the omission during a photo session following the ceremony.
He claimed the South African president summoned relevant officials and instructed them to address the issue, although the intervention came too late to include Nigeria’s address in the initial broadcast.
Fani-Kayode also disclosed that he turned down an interview request from the South African Broadcasting Corporation over what he described as the deplorable treatment of the Nigerian delegation.
While thanking Ramaphosa for intervening, the ambassador maintained that he would not accept any perceived disrespect towards Nigeria or its citizens.
