FG to Bring Home 83 Nigerians from South Africa on August 19

Eighty-three Nigerian nationals are slated to touch down at Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, during the evening. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs released this announcement, signalling the government's commitment to bringing citizens home as anti-foreigner violence escalates throughout South Africa.

From Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, the departing flight lifts off at 3:35 p.m. local time, travelling via South African Airways. Landing in Lagos is expected at approximately 8:45 p.m. that same day.

Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa made these travel arrangements public through a Monday statement. Public-spirited private individuals and philanthropists have made this evacuation possible through their sponsorship of air tickets.

In response to mounting xenophobic violence and hostility directed at migrants from Africa, Nigeria has undertaken this voluntary repatriation effort. Protecting citizens abroad remains a core priority for Nigeria's government.

Security challenges in South Africa—including documented threats against Nigerians and other foreign nationals—have driven multiple repatriation movements linking the two nations in recent months, with this contingent representing a continuation of those efforts.