The Federal Government of Nigeria has arranged the evacuation of another batch of 83 Nigerian citizens from South Africa, with the returnees scheduled to touch down at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos tomorrow, Wednesday, August 19, 2026. ​
According to an official press statement released on Monday, August 17, by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the flight will depart O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 3:35 p.m. local time via South African Airways. The aircraft is scheduled to land at the international wing of the Lagos airport at approximately 8:45 p.m. the same day. ​
This latest movement follows the conclusion of the Federal Government’s primary voluntary repatriation initiative, which successfully returned nearly 1,490 Nigerians earlier this year amid persistent anti-foreigner sentiments and Afrophobic attacks in parts of South Africa.
​Speaking on the sponsorship of this new cohort, Ebienfa highlighted that the flight tickets were facilitated through the intervention and generosity of public-spirited private individuals and philanthropists. ​
“The ministry wishes to note that 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,” Ebienfa stated. ​
The Ministry reaffirmed that under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the protection and welfare of Nigerians in the diaspora remain a core priority. Ebienfa emphasized that the country’s Citizen Diplomacy agenda views Nigerians abroad not as burdens, but as vital assets for national development.
​The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encouraged corporate organizations, the organized private sector, and state governments to continue supporting similar public-private partnerships to strengthen the nation’s capacity to handle consular emergencies. Receptions and diplomatic debriefs for the incoming 83 returnees will take place upon their arrival in Lagos tomorrow night.
