The Federal Government has announced that the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, will receive Nigerians returning from South Africa following ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the minister will receive the returnees at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on behalf of the Federal Government, as part of efforts to demonstrate its commitment to the welfare of Nigerians abroad and its citizen-centred foreign policy.
The first batch of 268 evacuees is expected to arrive aboard an Air Peace flight at about 5:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 11, 2026. The Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to Pretoria, Alexander Ajayi, is expected to accompany the returnees and formally hand them over to the minister upon arrival.
The ministry also disclosed that the screening exercise for Nigerians willing to voluntarily return home from South Africa has been extended until Sunday, June 14, 2026, to enable more affected citizens to register.
It stated that the move reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians overseas and ensuring that citizens affected by crises abroad receive adequate support and care.
The ministry further assured that relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies have put in place arrangements for the reception, documentation and reintegration support for the returnees.
The statement was signed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, on Wednesday in Abuja.