The Federal Government says it will pursue compensation for Nigerians who were forced to leave businesses, vehicles and other valuable assets behind as they fled renewed anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa.
Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Alexander Ajayi, disclosed that authorities have begun documenting properties abandoned by returning Nigerians as part of plans to press compensation claims with South African officials.
Ajayi said the government’s intervention goes beyond evacuating citizens, stressing that efforts are underway to ensure affected Nigerians do not lose investments they built over the years.
He also pushed back against claims that most Nigerians in South Africa are undocumented, explaining that many entered the country legally but became entangled in lengthy delays in renewing their immigration documents through South Africa’s Home Affairs Department.
The development comes as another batch of Nigerians is expected in Lagos under the Federal Government’s voluntary evacuation programme, launched ahead of planned anti-immigrant protests in South Africa.
According to Ajayi, the government remains committed to protecting the rights and interests of Nigerians affected by the latest wave of hostility, while working to secure compensation for losses suffered by those returning home.
