The Federal Government has assured Nigerians living in South Africa that every citizen who has indicated interest in returning home will be evacuated before June 30 as fresh concerns mount over ongoing anti-migrant violence in the country.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, disclosed that nearly 1,000 Nigerians had registered for evacuation, with the first batch of 258 returnees already airlifted to Lagos.
The evacuees were received at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, on June 11.
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According to Odumegwu-Ojukwu, President Bola Tinubu directed that Nigerians exposed to danger and harassment in South Africa and willing to return should be assisted immediately.
She stressed that no Nigerian who had signified interest in the exercise would be left behind.
The minister expressed concern over reports that Nigerians, including those married to South Africans, had become targets of hostility.
“When your citizens are being harassed and some of them have built families and lived there for years, it becomes a serious concern,” she said.
She added that some South African spouses and children of Nigerians were also reportedly being pressured to leave the country.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said Nigeria was continuing diplomatic engagements with Pretoria but warned that the government might review available options regarding South African companies operating in Nigeria if the situation deteriorates.
She noted that more than 120 South African companies currently operate in Nigeria, including MTN, MultiChoice, Stanbic and Protea.
“There are huge South African investments in Nigeria and nobody is targeting their businesses. Yet Nigerians are facing attacks and intimidation in South Africa. At some point, we have to review the options available to us,” she stated.
The minister revealed that anti-migrant vigilante groups had allegedly attacked businesses belonging to foreigners, looted shops and subjected migrants to intimidation in several South African cities.
She also disclosed that a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Nigeria and South Africa in October 2025 to establish an early warning mechanism during periods of tension had yet to become operational.
According to her, South African authorities later claimed that officials who signed the agreement lacked the authority to make it binding.
Nigeria, she said, would continue to pursue diplomatic solutions while any further measures would follow constitutional procedures and involve the National Assembly if necessary.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu lamented that the attacks were damaging South Africa’s reputation across Africa and undermining the pan-African ideals championed by the late Nelson Mandela.
The latest development comes amid renewed debates over xenophobic attacks in South Africa, which have repeatedly strained diplomatic relations between Abuja and Pretoria over the years.
