The Nigerian government has announced that a new batch of 83 Nigerian nationals would on Wednesday be evacuated from South Africa following continued Xenophobia in the country.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stated this in post on X.
She said the latest repatriation has been made possible through the intervention of public-spirited private individuals, the group of business friends who collectively sponsored the air tickets of the returnees.
“The returnees are scheduled to depart Oliver Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg at 3:35 p.m. local time and are expected to arrive Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at approximately 8:45 p.m. today,” she said.
According to the minister, the latest returnees add to the 1,490 Nigerians previously repatriated from South Africa under the government’s voluntary repatriation programme.
She said the programme was undertaken amidst concerns over Xenophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments in South Africa in the process of which some Nigerian Nationals lost their lives and many lost properties.
She restated the federal government’s committment to protecting Nigerian citizens abroad under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Citizen Diplomacy agenda, and thanked the volunteers for their gesture.
“On behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs commends this group of individuals for complementing Government’s efforts and for their ‘whole of society approach’ to addressing this crisis.
“This same group have also committed to evacuating a second batch of our Nationals who no longer feel safe in South Africa and have expressed a wish to return to Nigeria,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said.
The minister called on State Governments to complement Federal Government’s efforts towards ensuring that no citizen at risk abroad is abandoned to an uncertain fate, by assisting in evacuation or in cushioning the difficult process of relocation and resettlement of their returning indigenes.
She disclosed that in the batch of returnees arriving on Wednesday are Nigerian Nationals from Anambra, Ondo, Imo, Oyo, Enugu, Ogun, Abia, Osun, Delta, Kwara and Ekiti States.
“We thank the state government of Imo which has commenced the disbursement of one million Naira each to returning indigenes, Abia, which has approved the immediate disbursement of N1,000,000 each to 31 verified SA returnees of Abia State extraction as well as Enugu State government for it’s commitment towards assisting in the evacuation of stranded indigenes.
“We urge other State Governments to follow suit and complement Federal Government’s emergency efforts by coming to the aid of their stranded indigenes and returnees in this time of need.
“We also thank other well-meaning Nigerian individuals and groups, home and abroad for their support efforts in responding to and assisting Nigerian Nationals facing consular challenges and emergencies overseas. The Nation appreciates your altruism and your patriotism.
“To our returning Nationals, we say, ‘Welcome Home,'” she said.
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