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No fewer than 130 Nigerians have registered for voluntary evacuation flights from South Africa as anti-foreigner groups plan protests for Monday.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, in a post shared on X, said the evacuation is part of the government’s efforts to protect Nigerians in South Africa from the intensifying attacks on migrants in the country.
Anti-migrant protests rocked South Africa from April 26 to 27, 2026. Odumegwu-Ojukwu said no Nigerian was killed and no Nigerian-owned properties were destroyed during the protests.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said no Nigerian was killed and no Nigerian-owned properties were destroyed during the protest.
SOUTH AFRICA PROTESTS: SITUATION REPORT.
There is heightened anxiety over the series of anti-foreigner protests, also targeted at Nigerians in select cities in the republic of South Africa in recent weeks. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has expressed grave… pic.twitter.com/QYoFvE7KBT— Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (@Ojukwu_Bianca) May 3, 2026
“The president has reiterated that the priority at this time remains the safety of our citizens. Consequently, arrangements are underway to collate details of Nigerians in South Africa for voluntary repatriation flights, with assistance available for those seeking to return home,” she said.
“So far, 130 applicants have duly registered for the exercise with our mission in S.A, but this figure is expected to rise. Nigerian associations in South Africa are also assisting our mission in this regard.”
She added that Nigeria made sacrifices toward South Africa’s liberation and said the younger generation must be cognisant of this. The Foreign Affairs Minister also called for an end to xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other Black migrants in South Africa.
“Nigerian lives and businesses in SA must not continue to be put at risk, and we remain committed to working with South Africa to explore ways to put an end to this xenophobic pattern. It has become a recurring wave, especially prior to elections in South Africa, and anti-foreigner opposition parties leverage this to garner votes.”
