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A group of private individuals has sponsored the evacuation of 83 Nigerians from South Africa following continued concerns over xenophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments in the country.
Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying a group of “business friends” made the latest repatriation possible by collectively funding the returnees’ air tickets.
The 83 Nigerians are scheduled to depart Oliver Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, at 3:35 p.m. local time and arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at approximately 8:45 p.m on Wednesday.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the group had also committed to sponsoring the evacuation of a second batch of Nigerians who no longer felt safe in South Africa and wanted to return home.
“On behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs commends this group of individuals for complementing Government’s efforts and for their ‘whole of society approach’ to addressing this crisis,” she said.
The latest returnees add to the 1,490 Nigerians previously repatriated from South Africa under the Nigerian Government’s voluntary repatriation programme.
The government’s repatriation efforts followed concerns over xenophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments in South Africa, during which, according to the minister, some Nigerian nationals lost their lives while others lost their properties.
The minister said the Nigerian Government remained committed to protecting Nigerians abroad under President Bola Tinubu’s “Citizen Diplomacy agenda.”
“We therefore call on State Governments to complement the Federal Government’s efforts towards ensuring that no citizen at risk abroad is abandoned to an uncertain fate, by assisting in evacuation or in cushioning the difficult process of relocation and resettlement of their returning indigenes,” she said.
The latest batch comprises Nigerians from Anambra, Ondo, Imo, Oyo, Enugu, Ogun, Abia, Osun, Delta, Kwara and Ekiti states.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended state governments that have begun supporting returning citizens.
She said the Imo State Government had begun disbursing N1 million each to returning indigenes, while Abia had approved the immediate payment of N1 million each to 31 verified returnees of Abia extraction.
She also commended the Enugu State Government for its commitment to helping evacuate stranded indigenes.
“We urge other State Governments to follow suit and complement Federal Government’s emergency efforts by coming to the aid of their stranded indigenes and returnees in this time of need,” she said.
The minister also thanked Nigerians and groups in the country and abroad for supporting citizens facing consular challenges and emergencies.
“The Nation appreciates your altruism and your patriotism,” she said.
Update on South Africa Evacuations.
Today, August 19, 2026, a new batch of 83 Nigerian nationals will be evacuated from South Africa following continued Xenophobia in the country.
This latest repatriation has been made possible through the intervention of public-spirited… pic.twitter.com/rpDBd9a548
— Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu (@Ojukwu_Bianca) August 19, 2026
