Nigeria to Evacuate Citizens from South Africa by June 30

The Nigerian government has committed to fully evacuating willing citizens from South Africa by June 30 amid rising xenophobic attacks against migrants. Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the first batch of 258 Nigerians was airlifted to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on June 11.

A total of 1,000 Nigerians have registered for the evacuation, and it is expected that 742 more will be evacuated in subsequent batches. Ojukwu emphasized that any Nigerian who does not express interest in returning will be left behind.

The Tinubu administration is focused on the safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad and is exploring legal options to address the situation with South African authorities. Concerns were raised about the treatment of Nigerians compared to South African businesses operating in Nigeria.

The government noted that other countries, including Ghana and Zimbabwe, have begun similar evacuations due to security concerns.