65 Nigerians returning from South Africa Today on Privately Sponsored Flight

A further batch of 65 Nigerian nationals is scheduled to return home from South Africa today, following a privately funded repatriation initiative driven by ongoing safety concerns and xenophobic tensions.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the arrangement in a notification issued yesterday by its outgoing spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa.

According to the ministry, the returnees are scheduled to depart O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 3:30 p.m. local time aboard a South African Airways flight, arriving at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at 8:45 p.m. the same day.

This latest return follows the conclusion of the Federal Government's official voluntary evacuation programme, which successfully repatriated 1,490 Nigerians across five phases between June and July. The initial government-led operations were launched in response to heightened anti-immigration protests and violent targeting of foreign nationals.

Unlike those earlier state-coordinated flights—the final batch of which brought home 305 citizens—the current group of 65 is being facilitated through private sponsorship. This highlights that voluntary returns persist despite the official conclusion of the state evacuation scheme.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed that the original evacuation followed extensive diplomatic engagements with South African authorities regarding the security of foreign residents. While the Nigerian government continues to advocate for legal accountability for individual offenses, it maintains that crime must not be used to justify generalized attacks against Nigerian nationals.

It remains unconfirmed whether this flight marks the final group seeking repatriation, but the Ministry confirmed that today's passengers will safely join the growing number of citizens who have returned to Nigeria.