“We Are Not Like Her People”: South African Recalls Tense Airport Experience in Nigeria
- A South African woman shared how Nigerian airport staff debated whether to help her after she almost missed her flight
- One staff member refused to assist her after spotting her South African passport, but a colleague stepped in and urged them to show kindness
- The video sparked a wide debate online about attitudes toward South Africans travelling in Africa
Source: Facebook
A South African woman recounts a tense airport moment in Nigeria. Viewers weigh in on the moment.
Information Nigeria shared on Facebook on 8 July 2026, an interview segment on The Rooftop with Kayode Okikiolu. In it, South African Media Personality Inam Maso recalls rushing through Lagos airport on her way to Abuja and was on the verge of missing her flight.
In a panic, she asked airport staff for help and handed over her passport. One female staff member took one look at it and flatly refused. Inam Maso recalled her saying.
"I'm not helping her. Did you see her passport?"
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Then a man appeared from the back and changed everything. He told his colleague to assist her. The woman said that was the reason she got help that day. The man said:
"Show her we are not like her people."
Source: Facebook
Africa's top 10 most respected countries
According to Business Insider Africa, these ten African nations are highly respected mostly because of their natural wealth, booming businesses, and tourist appeal:
- South Africa: Takes the number one spot thanks to its massive gold and platinum mines.
- Egypt & Morocco: Famous for attracting millions of tourists and manufacturing goods like clothes.
- Algeria, Nigeria, & Angola: Highly ranked because they pump and sell huge amounts of valuable oil and gas.
- Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Packed with precious metals and gems like diamonds and copper.
- Tunisia: Makes a lot of money by exporting clothing and minerals.
- Ghana & Côte d'Ivoire: Famous for mining gold and being world leaders in growing cocoa beans, the main ingredient in chocolate.
View the Facebook video below:
Africans react to the airport encounter
The video touched a nerve, drawing sharp and varied reactions from viewers. This is what viewers had to say on the page:
Pabalelo Molale wrote:
"The way she said Lagos, we don't pronounce it that way; we say Lagos. Stop it. Anyway, she had papers."
Phindi Dondolo said:
"South Africans are good people too; we want people to be documented, so they can pay taxes like us. Nothing for Mahala [nothing for free]."
Refentse Mabilu shared:
"I recently saw a video of a Mozambican restaurant owner chasing South Africans from their restaurant, telling them to go on holiday in Cape Town. My conclusion was yeah, these people don't know the difference between traveling and migrating."
Ugochukwu Samson offered a different perspective:
"Nigerians are good people. Even those that said 'We are not helping her' would have turned around to say 'Make we just pity am.' It is not necessarily because of the one man at the back. We may ginger, but we don't lose our humanity even in the midst of our anger. We are the big brother any day, any time."
More Briefly News Stories on Nigeria
- Nigeria announced it would seek compensation from South Africa for citizens who fled anti-illegal immigration protests and left businesses and property behind, sparking mixed reactions from South Africans online.
- A Nigerian Catholic nun detained by US immigration officers while walking to church in Texas was released after members of Congress intervened on her behalf.
- A South African TikToker was praised after relocating to Nigeria with her Nigerian husband and child to keep her family together amid anti-migrant protests in South Africa, sparking debate online.
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Source: Briefly News
