The Federal Government says it will engage the South African government to seek compensation for Nigerians who were forced to abandon businesses and properties while returning home amid rising anti-immigrant protests.
Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, disclosed this during a television interview as another batch of Nigerians prepared to arrive in Lagos under the Federal Government’s voluntary evacuation programme.
Ajayi explained that the ongoing repatriation exercise is for Nigerians who voluntarily chose to return home ahead of planned anti-immigrant demonstrations in parts of South Africa. He stressed that the government’s intervention would not end with evacuating affected citizens but would also focus on protecting their economic interests.
According to him, the Nigerian mission has begun documenting businesses, vehicles, and other movable and immovable assets left behind by returnees to support any future compensation claims.
“Just three days ago, I met with the South African Deputy Minister of Finance, and we discussed the issue,” Ajayi said. “We have agreed that Nigerians returning home should accurately document the businesses, cars, shops, and other properties they are leaving behind so that we can engage the South African government.”
He added that detailed documentation would enable Nigerian authorities to identify the locations of affected properties and present verified claims to South African authorities for consideration.
Ajayi said the government intends to work closely with South African officials throughout the process to ensure that legitimate claims are properly assessed.
“This repatriation will not end with simply bringing people back to Nigeria,” he said. “We will systematically follow up on the information provided by the returnees. We have asked them to be as accurate as possible because we intend to work with the South African government to identify these businesses and properties and seek possible compensation.”
He noted that many Nigerians had spent years building businesses and acquiring assets in South Africa and should not be left to bear the losses alone.
The comments come as the Federal Government continues the phased evacuation of Nigerians who opted to leave South Africa following heightened tensions linked to anti-immigrant protests. Hundreds of Nigerians have already returned home under the ongoing voluntary repatriation programme, while authorities say more evacuation flights may be arranged if necessary.
Nigerian and South African officials are expected to continue diplomatic engagements as both countries seek to address the concerns arising from the recent anti-immigrant tensions and safeguard the interests of affected citizens.