LAGOS – The Nigerian federal government has officially concluded a large-scale evacuation of its citizens from South Africa, repatriating a total of 1,327 people following a wave of xenophobic violence. The final flight carrying returnees touched down in Lagos on Wednesday, 15 July 2026, marking the end of a complex and diplomatically fraught operation that began over two months ago.
The repatriation effort was launched in response to a series of anti-immigrant attacks targeting foreign nationals across South Africa. The violence prompted serious concern from Abuja and strained relations between the two African powers. According to a News24 report from 7 May 2026, Nigeria’s foreign minister had previously gone as far as to allege “extra-judicial” killings of Nigerian nationals in South Africa, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
[post_ads]The evacuation process began in early May, with media outlets including Daily Trust and africanews.com reporting on 4 May 2026 that the first group of 130 citizens had registered to leave. However, the plan encountered initial resistance, with Pulse Nigeria reporting on 8 May 2026 that South Africa had initially opposed the repatriation scheme.
Despite the early hurdles, the Nigerian government pressed on, with Punch Newspapers noting that officials had set an ambitious target to evacuate all willing Nigerians by 30 June 2026. While this deadline was missed, the operation continued into July. On 14 July 2026, The Sun Nigeria reported on what was then believed to be the final flight, which returned 315 citizens. [lock]The conclusive flight arrived the following day, bringing the total number of repatriated individuals to 1,327, as confirmed by TVC News.[/lock]
[post_ads_2]The recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, a nation whose government is led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was recently sworn in for a second term, have drawn condemnation from across the continent. Nigeria was not the only nation compelled to act. Ghana also launched its own evacuation programme, with Business Insider Africa and the BBC reporting that between 300 and 800 Ghanaian citizens were repatriated due to similar safety concerns.
The conclusion of the evacuation brings a measure of relief for the families involved but leaves lingering questions about the safety of foreign nationals in South Africa and the future of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
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