65 Nigerians To Return From South Africa Today Amid Xenophobia

Another 65 Nigerians are returning home from South Africa on Wednesday under a privately sponsored voluntary repatriation arrangement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced, as concerns over the safety of Nigerian nationals in the country continue to mount.

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed this in a statement on X, saying the evacuation was being facilitated by the Nigeria Private Group of Business Friends to complement earlier Federal Government efforts.

The batch comprises 30 adults, 34 children and one infant, with one mission official accompanying the returnees. They are from Lagos, Enugu, Kogi, Ogun, Imo, Oyo, Delta, Edo, Anambra, Osun, Benue, Abia and Kwara states.

The returnees are scheduled to depart Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 3:30 p.m. South Africa time and arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at 8:45 p.m. the same day.

The development follows the return of 83 Nigerians last week under the same privately sponsored arrangement by the group.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended the group for complementing government efforts and called on state governments to receive and support their returning indigenes, many of whom, she said, left South Africa “abandoning livelihoods and properties.”

She urged state governments to assist with relocation and resettlement to help alleviate the trauma endured by the returnees.

The repatriation comes amid continuing concerns over xenophobic incidents and protests by groups in South Africa calling for the deportation of foreign nationals.

The latest exercise brings the number of Nigerians repatriated through the government’s voluntary repatriation programme and the privately sponsored arrangements to more than 1,500.