Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has approved a cash grant of N1 million for each Imo indigene evacuated from South Africa. The telecommunications company MTN also announced a support package of N100,000 and N50,000 worth of airtime for every Nigerian repatriated in the first batch of the Federal Government’s evacuation exercise.
These announcements were made on Wednesday as the first group of 258 Nigerians returned from South Africa. They arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on a special Air Peace flight.
The returnees included men, women, and children. They are the first among over 1,000 Nigerians who registered for evacuation after weeks of xenophobic attacks and violence against immigrants in South Africa.
Officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), and other agencies welcomed the evacuees at the airport. They started documentation and profiling so the returnees could reunite with their families and join reintegration programs.
During the reception, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman and CEO of NiDCOM, spoke about the support from MTN and the financial assistance from the Imo State governor.
“MTN is here. We have been working with them. They are going to transfer N100,000 to your accounts each, and they are also going to give N50,000 airtime each with starter packs and phones for you to use when you get home.
“National Identification Management System (NIMS) is also here. For those of you who need a National Identification Number, you can get it today.
“Secondly, Governor Hope Uzodimma said his office should get your account numbers. He will transfer N1 million each to Imo State indigenes among you,” she said.
Earlier, PREMIUM TIMES reported that Alexander Ajayi, Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, described the returnees’ ordeal as traumatic. He said they were relieved to be back home.
“I want to start by thanking the Almighty God for bringing us this far and for bringing us here safely,” Mr Ajayi said.
“The people you see here today are our fellow Nigerians who have decided to come back home to escape the irresponsible violence that has been taking place in South Africa. They are in good spirits and have been looking forward to returning home since we started this process.”
He explained that the 258 returnees are just the first group in an ongoing repatriation effort. He praised President Bola Tinubu for leading this initiative personally.
According to him, after the attacks began, the president set up a direct line of communication involving the Presidency, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria. This was to monitor the situation and organize the government’s actions.
“From the very day the crisis started, Mr President established what we called a hotline communication between himself, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the mission in South Africa. Every day, he sought updates on developments and possible actions,” he said.
Mr Ajayi added that the Presidency also started a crisis monitoring unit to keep an eye on events across South Africa’s nine regions, where protests against immigrants have been spreading.
He disclosed that President Tinubu had directed as far back as April that all Nigerians wanting to return should be evacuated.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, welcomed the returnees on behalf of the Federal Government. He recognized the trauma many faced and assured them of support to rebuild their lives.
“My fellow Nigerians returning home, you are most welcome,” the minister said.
“I am happy to welcome you in the name of Mr President, but at the same time I am saddened because I know the kind of trauma our people have gone through. We are very sorry that this happened.”
He said President Tinubu is committed to creating opportunities in Nigeria, so people travel abroad by choice, not necessity.
Mr Enikanolaiye also mentioned that the federal government has fully paid Air Peace for the evacuation and praised the airline for stepping up.
He said the Federal Government, along with state governments and private sector partners, has put together support measures to help the returnees reintegrate.
The minister stated that Nigeria will keep engaging diplomatically with South Africa to prevent future attacks against Nigerians.
“We believe in diplomacy. We believe in engagement. We believe in dialogue,” he said.
Some returnees shared their gratitude with PREMIUM TIMES, especially thanking Governor Uzodimma for the financial support. They called it timely.
Chidebeze Okechukwu said the N1 million grant would help him start over after losing everything in the attacks.
“The gesture will help me settle because I lost everything to the attack in South Africa,” he stated.
The arrival of these returnees marks the first phase of one of Africa’s largest coordinated repatriation efforts in recent years. This follows renewed xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
The latest violence started in April after videos showed South Africans attacking Black foreign nationals and telling them to leave. This has raised concerns about recurring attacks that affect diplomatic relations across Africa.
The unrest led Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique to warn their citizens against non-essential travel to South Africa. Many governments began evacuation programs for citizens wanting to return.
Nigeria announced plans to bring back over 1,000 citizens after two Nigerians, Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, were reportedly killed there. The Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria helped coordinate voluntary evacuations with South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs.
The evacuation faced some delays due to logistical problems but got presidential approval for five Air Peace flights after more than 1,000 Nigerians signed up.
This crisis brings back memories of the deadly xenophobic attacks in 2008, 2015, and 2019, when many migrants were killed and businesses were looted.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the recent violence. But Nigerian officials are worried about the ongoing attacks and promise to push for better protection for Nigerians living in South Africa.
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