Nigeria to Repatriate Over 1,000 Citizens from South Africa

The Federal Government of Nigeria, represented by the National Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and its Chairman, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, announced plans to repatriate more than 1,000 Nigerians from South Africa. This decision follows safety concerns due to recent anti-immigrant protests in the country.

The repatriation process, which is voluntary, commenced with a screening exercise conducted jointly by NiDCOM and the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, South Africa. The screening began early on a Saturday and saw a high turnout of Nigerians wishing to return home.

Despite the emotional atmosphere and prevailing tensions, the exercise was described as smooth and professionally supervised. Amb.

Olatund Ajayi, representing the Nigerian High Commission, confirmed that approximately 1,000 Nigerians had registered for the voluntary evacuation. The first batch of evacuees is scheduled to depart Nigeria next week, with five flights expected to be deployed for this purpose.

President Bola Tinubu has approved funding for the repatriation initiative.