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A privately sponsored repatriation programme will bring 65 Nigerians home from South Africa on Wednesday, following persistent concerns about Nigerians’ safety in the country.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu announced the development in a post on X on Wednesday, saying the latest returnees were being brought home through a voluntary repatriation programme sponsored by the Nigeria Private Group of Business Friends.
“This second batch of returnees is comprised of 30 adults, 34 children, one infant, with one escorting mission official,” she said.
The returnees are from Lagos, Enugu, Kogi, Ogun, Imo, Oyo, Delta, Edo, Anambra, Osun, Benue, Abia and Kwara states.
According to Ojukwu, the group is scheduled to leave Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 3:30 p.m. South African time and arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
The latest exercise follows the return of 83 Nigerians last week under the same private sponsorship arrangement.
Ojukwu said the private group was “facilitating this latest exercise amidst unrelenting concerns over the safety and welfare of our Nationals in South Africa occasioned by reports of continuing xenophobic incidents and protests by groups calling for the deportation of foreign nationals.”
She commended the sponsors for complementing the Nigerian Government’s earlier evacuation programme.
“On behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs commends this group of individuals for complementing the Government’s efforts and for their proactive humanitarian interventions,” she said.
The new repatriations come after the Nigerian Government concluded a five-phase evacuation programme in July that brought 1,490 Nigerians home from South Africa following a surge in xenophobic attacks and security concerns.
The first privately sponsored batch of 83 Nigerians arrived in Lagos on August 19. The Foreign Ministry said private individuals provided the tickets for that group.
The wider crisis has strained relations between Nigeria and South Africa.
Anti-immigration protests have intensified in South Africa, with groups including Operation Dudula and March and March demanding tougher action against undocumented migrants.
Rights groups and migrant advocates have warned that hostility can extend beyond undocumented migrants to foreign nationals generally.
South African authorities have pushed back against the characterisation of the protests as simply xenophobic, saying the government is addressing irregular migration while condemning violence against foreign nationals.
During diplomatic discussions in July, South Africa pledged stronger protection for foreign nationals and prosecution of those responsible for attacks.
Ojukwu said the government was now looking beyond the immediate return of Nigerians and urging states to support their reintegration.
“We continue to appeal to state governments to complement Federal Government’s repatriation efforts by coming to the aid of their returnees,” she said.
She noted that many returnees had left South Africa, abandoning livelihoods and property, and called on state governments to help with relocation and resettlement.
The minister also appealed for support to address what she described as the trauma returnees experienced.
Update on latest South Africa Evacuations.
Another 65 Nigerians will be returning home from South Africa today, Wednesday August 26, 2026 . This evacuation is being executed under a privately sponsored voluntary repatriation by the Nigeria Private Group of Business Friends to… pic.twitter.com/zps7LaSUr2
— Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (@Ojukwu_Bianca) August 26, 2026
