Another 65 Nigerian nationals are expected to arrive in Lagos on Wednesday night following their repatriation from South Africa, as Nigeria continues to facilitate the return of citizens amid renewed xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant tensions in the country.
The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the 65 returnees, whose return tickets were sponsored by private individuals, will depart the Oliver Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, at 3:30 p.m. local time on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, aboard South African Airways. They are expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at 8:45 p.m. the same day.
The latest return comes after the Federal Government completed a major voluntary repatriation exercise that brought 1,490 Nigerians home from South Africa following weeks of xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant protests. The evacuation involved several government-arranged flights, with Nigerian carrier Air Peace operating most of the flights, while South African Airways handled two.
The first batch of the government-backed evacuation arrived in Lagos in June, with subsequent Air Peace flights bringing hundreds more Nigerians home as attacks and anti-immigrant tensions intensified. The repatriation programme was undertaken after Nigerian authorities raised concerns about the safety of citizens, including those legally resident in South Africa, amid reports of attacks, looting and intimidation of foreign nationals.
Following the government-funded evacuation programme, another 83 Nigerians were also scheduled to return from South Africa in August through privately sponsored tickets, underscoring the continuation of efforts to assist Nigerians who wished to leave the country amid the security concerns. The latest batch of 65 is similarly being sponsored by private individuals, according to the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
The repatriations have taken place against a backdrop of heightened diplomatic concern between Abuja and Pretoria over xenophobic violence. The Federal Government has repeatedly raised alarm over the loss of Nigerian lives in South Africa, with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, recently disclosing that about 90 Nigerians have been killed in Afrophobic violence in the country since June 2022.
Speaking amid renewed attacks and the ongoing repatriation of Nigerians, Enikanolaiye said the recurring violence had become a serious concern to Nigeria, stressing that the attacks had affected not only undocumented migrants but also Nigerians legally resident in South Africa.
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