The Federal Government will evacuate another 83 Nigerians from South Africa, with the returnees expected to arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement on Monday, said the returnees would travel on South African Airways from Oliver Tambo Airport, Johannesburg, at 3:35pm local time and are expected to arrive in Lagos at about 8:45pm.
The ministry said the latest evacuation was made possible through the intervention and sponsorship of flight tickets by public-spirited private individuals.
The development comes after the completion of the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme, which saw nearly 1,490 Nigerians return from South Africa amid rising Afrophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments.
The ministry said the government remained committed to protecting the welfare and dignity of Nigerians at home and abroad under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
According to the statement, the government’s Citizen Diplomacy agenda recognises Nigerians in the diaspora as critical assets to national development and places priority on their protection and well-being.
It also commended the individuals and philanthropists who supported the latest evacuation, describing their intervention as an example of a “whole of society approach” and public-private collaboration.
The ministry urged the organised private sector, corporate organisations, state governments and other well-meaning Nigerians at home and abroad to support efforts to respond to consular emergencies.
The statement said, **“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to announce that a new batch of 83 Nigerian nationals will arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 via South African Airways.
“They are expected to depart the Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg at 3.35pm local time to arrive Lagos at approximately 08.45pm the same day.
“The Ministry wishes to note that this latest cohort of returnees is facilitated through the kind intervention and sponsorship of tickets by public-spirited private individuals, whose generosity the Federal Government acknowledges with profound gratitude.”**
The ministry added that the government would continue to strengthen partnerships with host countries, including South Africa, to tackle the root causes of Afrophobia and prevent violence and discrimination against Nigerians.
It said acts of violence and discrimination against Nigerians must be condemned and perpetrators held accountable.
South African anti-immigration group sets September 30 deadline
Meanwhile, South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, has announced September 30 as a fresh deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.
The group staged a protest outside the Southern African Development Community summit in Durban on Monday, calling on African leaders attending the 46th SADC Summit to take back their citizens living in South Africa without legal documentation.
March and March had earlier led nationwide protests on June 30, demanding tougher government action against undocumented foreigners.
At Monday’s protest, the group announced what it described as the second phase of its June 30 campaign, warning that September 30 would be the date for what it called the “mother of all protests.”
The group urged South Africans to comply with the law and report undocumented foreigners to the police.
The 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government is being held in Durban, with leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states in attendance.
The protest came amid renewed concerns over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently condemned discrimination and violence against people from other African countries, saying South Africa could not preach regional integration while practising exclusion at home.
“We are deeply ashamed that people from other countries have suffered ill-treatment and that others have been forced to leave the country because of threats of violence,” Ramaphosa said.
He added, “We cannot preach integration at a summit like this and practise exclusion on the streets of our countries.”
The June 30 protests were accompanied by security operations and reports of attacks and looting in some areas, according to police reports cited in the original report.
March and March has continued to demand tougher action against undocumented immigration, while several African countries have evacuated their citizens amid concerns over the treatment of foreign nationals.
The latest protest has now brought the immigration dispute directly to the doorstep of a regional summit attended by leaders whose citizens are among those affected.
