The Federal Government has pledged to help Nigerians who recently returned from South Africa rebuild their lives through skills training, livelihood support and mental health services.
Officials said more than 1,000 returnees have already been registered as part of the government’s reintegration programme, while discussions between Nigeria and South Africa are ongoing to improve the safety of Nigerians still living in the country.
The Director of Migration Affairs at the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Ambassador Catherine Udida, made the disclosure after Air Peace completed its third evacuation flight from South Africa on Friday, bringing home 268 Nigerians through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos.
Udida explained that several government agencies are working together to assist the returnees. She said the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is providing transportation to help them reach their home states, while the NCFRMI is coordinating their reintegration.
According to her, the government will provide vocational training, economic support and counselling to help the returnees recover from the emotional and psychological impact of their experiences.
She added that over 1,000 people have so far been profiled and are receiving assistance, noting that Nigerian and South African authorities continue to engage diplomatically on issues affecting Nigerians residing in South Africa.
Some of the returnees, however, described losing businesses and properties during their stay and said they now face the challenge of starting over after returning home.
One of them, Babatunde Oladeji, who said he lived in South Africa for about 20 years, claimed he lost a security and cleaning business worth more than 1.5 million rand after it was taken over. He also alleged that his personal information was misused for fraudulent activities.
Oladeji said many African migrants faced hostility and discrimination, adding that Nigerians were often unfairly viewed as criminals regardless of their legal status.
Another returnee, Fola Kester, said he had lived in South Africa since childhood but struggled for years to obtain the necessary immigration documents. He explained that unresolved paperwork prevented him from continuing his university education despite repeated efforts to resolve the issue with the country’s authorities.
Kester said he eventually decided to leave because he could no longer live normally without proper documentation, although he noted that he was not directly affected by xenophobic attacks.
A third returnee from Anambra State urged Nigerians to be cautious about relocating to South Africa, alleging that anti-Nigerian sentiment often intensifies during election periods and that many South Africans wrongly associate African migrants, particularly Nigerians, with crime.
