By Omoyeni Ojeifo
Eighty-three Nigerians are expected to return home from South Africa on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, following the sponsorship of their flight tickets by public-spirited private individuals.
The returnees are expected to depart Oliver Tambo Airport, Johannesburg, at 3:35pm local time aboard South African Airways and arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, at approximately 8:45pm the same day.
The latest development followed the earlier conclusion of the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme, according to a statement by spokesperson of the Ministry of foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa Imomotimi, obtained by PersecondNews, on Monday.
PersecondNews recalls that the programme saw nearly 1,490 Nigerian citizens repatriated from South Africa amid rising Afrophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments in the host country.
“This latest cohort of returnees is facilitated through the kind intervention and sponsorship of tickets by public-spirited private individuals, whose generosity the Federal Government acknowledges with profound gratitude,” it said.
The repatriation programme was conducted amid rising Afrophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments in the host country.
The Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the welfare and dignity of Nigerians at home and abroad.
In line with its Citizen Diplomacy agenda, the government said it views Nigerians in the diaspora not as a burden, but as critical assets for national development, and remains committed to their protection and wellbeing.
The ministry expressed special appreciation to the private individuals and philanthropists who have stepped forward to assist in the humanitarian effort.
“Their intervention is a sterling example of the “whole of society approach”, involving public-private collaboration in addressing challenges facing Nigerians abroad.”
The ministry also called on the organised private sector, corporate organisations, State Governments and other well-meaning Nigerians at home and in the diaspora to emulate the initiative.
“Our collective efforts would bolster Nigeria’s national capacity to respond effectively to consular emergencies”.
The government added that it remained committed to deepening strategic partnerships with host nations, including South Africa, to address the root causes of Afrophobia.
It called for sustained efforts to ensure acts of violence and discrimination against Nigerians are prevented, strongly condemned when they occur, and perpetrators held accountable.