The Federal Government has assured Nigerians living in South Africa that all citizens who have indicated willingness to return home amid ongoing anti-migrant attacks in the country will be evacuated before the June 30 deadline.
The assurance was given by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in a press statement issued on Thursday.
The minister said the Tinubu administration remains committed to the safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad and would ensure that no citizen willing to return from South Africa is left behind.
According to her, the evacuation exercise is already underway, with the first batch of 258 Nigerians successfully airlifted from South Africa and received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on June 11.
She disclosed that about 1,000 Nigerians had registered for evacuation from South Africa, adding that arrangements were being concluded to bring home the remaining citizens before the deadline. This means that over 742 Nigerians are expected to be evacuated in the coming days.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed that Nigerians exposed to danger and harassment in South Africa and who have voluntarily indicated interest in returning home should be assisted to do so without delay.
The minister explained that Nigeria was continuing to engage South African authorities through diplomatic channels while exploring other lawful options to address the situation.
She also expressed concern over what she described as the unequal treatment of Nigerians despite the significant presence of South African businesses operating in Nigeria.
“As I indicated before, there are these huge conglomerates. By the way, there are over 120 South African companies operating in Nigeria. Nobody is asking them to provide proof of identity. Nobody is asking South African staff working there whether they are South Africans or Nigerians, and nobody is taking over their shops or businesses. But this is happening to Nigerians in South Africa. So, I think that at some point, we really have to review the options available to us,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further revealed that South African authorities had declined to activate a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Nigeria in October 2025 on an early warning mechanism intended to protect the lives and property of citizens of both countries during periods of tension.
The minister added that countries including Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique have also begun evacuating their nationals from South Africa as concerns over the attacks continue to grow.
