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According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the flight is expected to arrive in Lagos at approximately 5:30 am on Friday.
Spokesperson of the Ministry, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, confirmed the details in a statement released on the Ministry’s official X account on Thursday.
The Third Evacuation Flight operated by Air Peace will depart Johannesburg today by 12midnight with 271 returnees. The estimated time of arrival in Lagos is 5.30am on Friday 3, July, 2026.
Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa
Spokesperson, MFA.— Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Nigeria 🇳🇬 (@NigeriaMFA) July 2, 2026
The ministry said that a total of 593 Nigerians have already been evacuated from South Africa in previous operations.
The first batch of 258 evacuees arrived in Lagos on June 11 aboard a special Air Peace flight and were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, on behalf of the Nigerian Government before being handed over to relevant ministries, departments and agencies for documentation and profiling.
The ministry said logistical challenges delayed the second evacuation flight, resulting in some Nigerians being temporarily accommodated at the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, where they were cared for by the mission.
A Nigerian philanthropist voluntarily paid the airfare for 66 stranded nationals, who returned to Lagos on June 24, while another 269 evacuees arrived on June 30 on the second government-arranged evacuation flight.
Also, the ministry commended the cooperation of relevant ministries, departments and agencies involved in the exercise.
It said, “The Ministry appreciates the very positive coordination and collaboration with relevant MDAs in making this process a success, and we will continue to work together for the good of our country.”
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to Nigerians abroad, the ministry added, “The evacuation process clearly 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.
“It also reflects the Government’s determination to ensure that Nigerians affected by crises abroad receive the necessary support, dignity, and care. The lives of Nigerians living abroad matter, and we are trying our best as a Ministry to give them a sense of belonging.”
