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The Federal Government has pledged to evacuate all Nigerians who have indicated a willingness to return home from South Africa before June 30, following a wave of anti-migrant attacks and rising tensions in the country.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, gave the assurance in a statement issued on Thursday, saying the Tinubu administration remains committed to protecting the lives and welfare of Nigerians abroad.
According to the minister, the evacuation exercise is already in progress. The first batch of 258 Nigerians arrived in Lagos on June 11 and was received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu disclosed that nearly 1,000 Nigerians had registered for evacuation, leaving more than 742 citizens expected to be airlifted back to Nigeria in the coming days.
She said President Bola Tinubu had directed relevant agencies to ensure that Nigerians exposed to harassment, intimidation and insecurity in South Africa are assisted to return home without delay if they choose to do so.
“The government will not abandon any Nigerian who wishes to return. Every citizen who has registered and indicated readiness to come home will be evacuated before the deadline,” she stated.
The minister expressed concern over reports of discrimination and attacks targeting Nigerians and other African migrants, noting that many of those affected have lived in South Africa for years and built families and businesses there.
She said some Nigerians are married to South African citizens and have children who know no other country as home, making the situation particularly troubling.
“When your citizens are being harassed, when they have spent years building their lives in another country, it becomes a serious concern for government,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu revealed that Nigeria is continuing diplomatic engagements with South African authorities while exploring other lawful options to safeguard the interests of its citizens.
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She stressed that any future measures would be taken in accordance with constitutional provisions and established diplomatic procedures.
The minister also questioned what she described as the unequal treatment of Nigerians in South Africa despite the extensive presence of South African businesses in Nigeria.
According to her, more than 120 South African companies operate across various sectors of the Nigerian economy, including telecommunications, banking, broadcasting and hospitality.
“We have MTN, MultiChoice, Stanbic, Protea and many other South African businesses operating freely in Nigeria. Nobody is demanding proof of nationality from their employees or taking over their businesses, yet Nigerians in South Africa are facing a different reality,” she said.
She warned that the activities of anti-migrant vigilante groups are causing significant reputational damage to South Africa and undermining the pan-African values championed by former President Nelson Mandela.
The minister said the attacks have already begun affecting conferences, concerts and business activities, with South Africa increasingly being portrayed as a xenophobic destination.
She further disclosed that South African authorities have yet to activate a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Nigeria in October 2025 to establish an early warning mechanism aimed at protecting citizens of both countries during periods of tension.
According to her, South Africa later argued that officials who signed the agreement lacked the authority to make it binding, thereby delaying its implementation.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu added that several African countries, including Ghana, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique, have also commenced the evacuation of their nationals as concerns over the attacks continue to mount.
The latest evacuation effort comes amid growing calls for stronger action to protect African migrants living in South Africa and address recurring incidents of xenophobic violence that have strained relations between Pretoria and several African nations.
