President Bola Tinubu
President Bola Tinubu has directed a fresh round of evacuations for Nigerian nationals stranded in South Africa following the continued wave of xenophobic protests and anti-immigrant threats in parts of the country.
The latest update was disclosed on Monday by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in a post on her official X account.
According to the minister, the Federal Government has intensified efforts to ensure that Nigerians who wish to return home are safely evacuated, particularly those considered most vulnerable.
She revealed that after the first evacuation exercise, the Federal Government approved another evacuation operation last week, bringing home 66 Nigerians, mainly women and children, who arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on June 24, 2026.
The minister further disclosed that another evacuation flight, operated by Air Peace Airlines and fully funded by the Federal Government, is scheduled to arrive at Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg later on Monday to airlift more Nigerians before the deadline issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa.
She added that President Tinubu had instructed that the evacuation exercise should continue beyond the deadline if necessary.
“The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has further directed that the evacuations will continue, even after the deadline has elapsed to ensure that no Nigerian citizen, who wants to come back to our home country is left behind,” she stated.
Bianca also said relevant government agencies, including the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), would be stationed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos to provide immediate support for the returnees.
According to her, the agencies will carry out on-site documentation, health screenings and profiling of the evacuees upon arrival.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to the welfare of Nigerians abroad, the minister wrote:
“The safety of our citizens abroad remains the core of the citizen diplomacy imperative of the Renewed Hope Agenda. We have an unbreakable commitment to protecting our citizens outside national borders, and upholding the sovereign bond between our Nation and its nationals, especially those that are imperiled.”
She concluded the statement with a message to Nigerians returning home:
“To the Returnees, in advance we say, ‘Welcome back to the Homeland.'”
The fresh evacuation comes amid growing concerns over renewed anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa, with Nigerian authorities assuring citizens that efforts will continue until every Nigerian willing to return home has been safely evacuated.
