By Deborah Nnamdi
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians living in South Africa that all citizens who have indicated their willingness to return home amid ongoing anti-migrant attacks will be evacuated before the June 30 deadline.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, gave the assurance in a statement issued on Thursday by her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Magnus Eze.
She said the administration of President Bola Tinubu 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 the minister, the evacuation process 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.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu disclosed that about 1,000 Nigerians had registered for evacuation, adding that arrangements were being finalized to bring home the remaining citizens before the deadline.
She said President Tinubu had directed that Nigerians facing danger, harassment, and intimidation in South Africa, and who had voluntarily indicated interest in returning home, should be assisted without delay.
The minister expressed concern over reports of discrimination and attacks targeting Nigerians and other African migrants, noting that some affected persons had lived in South Africa for many years and built families there.
She said many of those being asked to leave the country were married to South Africans and had children who knew no other home, describing the situation as deeply troubling.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated that Nigeria was engaging South African authorities through diplomatic channels while considering other lawful options to address the crisis. She stressed that any further action by Nigeria would be guided by constitutional provisions and due legislative process.
The minister also questioned what she described as the unequal treatment of Nigerians despite the extensive presence of South African businesses operating in Nigeria.
According to her, more than 120 South African companies currently operate across various sectors of the Nigerian economy, including telecommunications, financial services, hospitality, and media, without facing similar scrutiny or restrictions.
She warned that the activities of anti-migrant vigilante groups were not only endangering lives and livelihoods but also damaging South Africa’s reputation as a champion of pan-African unity.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the attacks had contributed to growing perceptions of xenophobia, leading to the cancellation of events and raising concerns among investors and the international community.
She further revealed that South African authorities had yet to activate a Memorandum of Understanding signed with Nigeria in October 2025 on an early warning mechanism designed to protect the lives and property of citizens of both countries during periods of tension.
According to her, South Africa later argued that officials who signed the agreement on its behalf lacked the authority to make it binding and that additional procedures were required before implementation.
The minister added that other African countries, including Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, had also commenced the evacuation of their nationals from South Africa as concerns over the attacks continued to mount.
