No fewer than 1,695 Nigerians have returned home from South Africa in 2026 amid renewed concerns over possible xenophobic attacks and reported threats against foreigners in the country.
Key Highlights
- 1,695 Nigerians have returned from South Africa in 2026 amid renewed xenophobia concerns.
- 1,490 were repatriated through government-sponsored arrangements, while 205 received private assistance.
- The Federal Government funded five repatriation flights, each carrying at least 200 Nigerians.
- Another 500 Nigerians could return under an RCCG-sponsored evacuation programme.
- Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner, Ajayi Alexander, said anti-immigrant groups had issued fresh threats against foreigners.
Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Ajayi Alexander, disclosed the figure on Friday during a visit by fellows of the MTN Media Innovation Programme in Pretoria.
According to Alexander, 1,490 Nigerians were repatriated through government-sponsored arrangements, while another 205 returned with assistance from private individuals.
The Federal Government funded five repatriation flights, each carrying at least 200 Nigerians, while the Nigerian mission also provided batches of one-way tickets for citizens who wished to return home.
The envoy said some of the Nigerians who left South Africa were not undocumented migrants. Some reportedly owned property in the country, while others were legal residents whose residence permit renewals had been delayed.
The repatriation exercise could also be expanded, as the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has offered to sponsor the return of another 500 Nigerians.
Alexander appealed to other religious organisations, private individuals and groups to support further evacuation efforts.
The latest development comes amid what the envoy described as fresh threats from anti-immigrant groups. According to him, foreigners have reportedly been given until the end of September to leave parts of South Africa.
“We are not taking that threat lightly,” Alexander said, explaining that the Nigerian mission was focused on preventing citizens from being exposed to possible violence.
The renewed concerns have revived memories of the 2019 xenophobic attacks in South Africa, during which Nigeria arranged emergency flights to evacuate citizens affected by the violence.
Attacks and hostility against Nigerians and other African nationals have remained a recurring source of tension in relations between Abuja and Pretoria.
Nigeria has previously raised concerns over the safety of its citizens in South Africa. The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, had disclosed that 98 Nigerians died in mob and hate-related incidents between 2022 and the time of his statement.
The issue also prompted South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, to lead a delegation to Abuja in July following President Bola Tinubu’s directive for renewed discussions on the safety of Nigerians in South Africa.
The two countries have reportedly identified five key areas for cooperation, including preventive measures, prosecution of offenders, restraint by public officials, respect for the rule of law and possible compensation for Nigerians whose properties were damaged or abandoned during attacks.
However, a proposed early-warning mechanism designed to alert both governments to emerging threats against their citizens has yet to become operational.
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Alexander said discussions on the mechanism had remained unresolved for between six and seven years. According to him, Nigeria has signed its part of the proposed memorandum of understanding, while South Africa has also completed its own process, but the arrangement is yet to take effect.
The delay has raised concerns over the effectiveness of existing diplomatic measures in providing practical protection for Nigerians living in South Africa.
Despite the recurring tensions, Alexander maintained that relations between the Nigerian and South African governments remained cordial at the highest level.
“There is a good relationship between the governments at the highest level,” he said.
For Nigerians living in South Africa, however, the latest repatriation figures have renewed concerns about their safety amid the reported threats.
With 1,695 citizens already having returned this year and another 500 potentially set to leave under the RCCG-sponsored arrangement, the Nigerian mission says it will continue to facilitate voluntary evacuation for citizens who wish to return home.
“We want to be able to evacuate as many as possible so that we will not allow violence to be inflicted on them,” Alexander said.
