Nigeria to evacuate 83 citizens from South Africa via private sponsorship

A group of 83 Nigerian nationals is scheduled to return from South Africa to Lagos on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. The evacuees are expected to depart from O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg via South African Airways at 3:35 p.m. local time, arriving at Murtala Muhammed International Airport at approximately 8:45 p.m.

This specific evacuation was made possible through the sponsorship of air tickets by private individuals and philanthropists. The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the intervention as a successful example of a ‘whole of society approach’ and public-private collaboration in responding to consular emergencies.

The movement follows a previous government-led voluntary repatriation programme that returned nearly 1,490 Nigerians to their home country. Those efforts were prompted by rising Afrophobic sentiments, discrimination, and attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa. The Ministry reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to its ‘Citizen Diplomacy’ agenda, stating that the government will continue to engage with South African authorities to address the root causes of xenophobia and protect the dignity of Nigerians abroad.