A fresh batch of 83 Nigerians stranded in South Africa will arrive in Lagos on Wednesday, August 19, following a privately sponsored evacuation coordinated by the Federal Government.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the returnees will depart Oliver Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, at 3:35 p.m. local time aboard South African Airways and arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at approximately 8:45 p.m.
The ministry said the latest evacuation was made possible through the sponsorship of flight tickets by public-spirited private individuals.
“The Ministry is pleased to announce that a new batch of 83 Nigerian nationals will arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday, 19 August 2026,” the statement said.
It said the intervention demonstrates the importance of collective action in responding to challenges affecting Nigerians abroad.
“This is a sterling example of the ‘whole-of-society approach’ and public-private collaboration championed by the government,” the ministry stated.
The latest return comes after the conclusion of the government’s voluntary repatriation programme, which facilitated the return of nearly 1,490 Nigerians from South Africa amid rising Afrophobic attacks and anti-foreigner sentiments.
The ministry said the government remains committed to protecting Nigerians wherever they reside.
“The Federal Government, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, remains unwavering in its commitment to safeguard the welfare and dignity of all Nigerians at home and abroad,” it said.
It added that Nigerians in the diaspora remain important to Nigeria’s development, stressing that the government “views Nigerians in the diaspora not as a burden, but as critical assets for national development.”
The ministry also praised the private individuals and philanthropists who supported the evacuation.
“Their action is a sterling example of patriotism and selflessness,” the statement said, adding that their intervention had “significantly alleviated the plight of our compatriots in South Africa.”
The government called on the organised private sector, corporate organisations, state governments and other well-meaning Nigerians to support humanitarian interventions for citizens facing difficulties abroad.
It further pledged to deepen strategic engagement with South Africa to tackle the root causes of Afrophobia.
The ministry said such cooperation would help ensure that “acts of violence and discrimination against Nigerians are prevented and are strongly condemned when they occur,” while perpetrators are held accountable.