The Federal Government says Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye will receive 268 Nigerians evacuated from South Africa on Thursday as xenophobic attacks continue.
According to a statement Wednesday by Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the minister will be at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, to welcome the returnees at about 5:00 a.m. aboard an Air Peace flight.
The evacuation marks the first batch of Nigerians returning home amid fresh attacks in South Africa.
The Acting High Commissioner of Nigeria in Pretoria, Ambassador Alexander Ajayi, is expected to accompany the passengers and formally hand them over to the Minister upon arrival.
The Ministry also said that the current screening exercise being conducted by the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria for citizens willing to voluntarily return home has been extended until Sunday, June 14, 2026.
The extension is intended to enable more affected Nigerians to register for evacuation.
The Ministry noted that the evacuation exercise reflects the Federal Government’s citizen-centred foreign policy and its commitment to safeguarding the rights, dignity, and well-being of Nigerians wherever they reside.
It further assured the public that comprehensive reception, documentation, and support measures have been put in place through relevant Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to facilitate the smooth reintegration of the returnees.