The first group of Nigerians choosing to return home following the recent surge in xenophobic violence in South Africa arrived in Lagos on Thursday, marking the commencement of a Federal Government-backed evacuation programme.
A total of 268 returnees landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport aboard an Air Peace flight at approximately 10:30 a.m.
The arrival represents the first phase of a larger repatriation effort aimed at assisting Nigerians affected by the unrest in South Africa. Authorities have disclosed that more than 1,000 Nigerians have so far expressed interest in returning home.
The evacuation flight had originally been scheduled for Monday but was postponed until Wednesday due to delays in the processing of travel documents.
Speaking earlier in the week, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, revealed that the number of Nigerians requesting evacuation continued to increase.
“The numbers keep increasing,” the minister said after Nigeria’s High Commission in Pretoria secured concessions from South African authorities to ease the departure process for affected citizens.
According to Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigerian diplomats successfully negotiated waivers that would allow citizens with immigration-related issues to leave the country through the repatriation programme rather than face detention.
The repatriation exercise followed a screening process for interested Nigerians, which began last Thursday and was initially expected to conclude on Saturday.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Wednesday that the screening exercise had been extended until Sunday to enable more Nigerians to participate.
The ministry explained that the extension was necessary to accommodate the growing number of applicants seeking evacuation assistance.
It stressed that protecting the welfare and safety of Nigerians abroad remains a key component of the country’s foreign policy.
“This underscores the priority accorded to the protection of Nigerian citizens overseas, which remains a central pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy and a core responsibility of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” the ministry stated.
The Federal Government also assured that adequate arrangements had been made to support the returnees upon arrival in Nigeria.
According to the ministry, relevant ministries, departments and agencies have put in place comprehensive reception, documentation and reintegration measures to assist those returning from South Africa.
The latest evacuation exercise comes amid renewed concerns over xenophobic attacks in South Africa, prompting hundreds of Nigerians to seek government assistance to return home.