The Nigerian government has announced plans to pursue compensation for businesses and properties left behind by citizens returning from South Africa under a voluntary evacuation program.
Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, disclosed this during a television interview on Tuesday, as another group of evacuees was expected to arrive in Lagos. He said many Nigerians chose to return home ahead of planned anti-immigrant protests.
Ajayi explained that the government has begun documenting assets abandoned by returnees, including shops, vehicles, and other properties, to support future compensation claims.
He stressed that the evacuation effort goes beyond repatriation, noting that authorities will work with the South African government to verify and recover losses. “We will not allow the investments and labor of our citizens to be lost,” he said.
The envoy also rejected claims that most Nigerians in South Africa are undocumented, stating that many entered legally but were affected by delays in immigration renewals due to administrative backlogs.
The latest evacuation follows rising tensions linked to planned anti-immigration demonstrations. Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that an Air Peace flight had been deployed to return affected citizens.
Meanwhile, former Nigerian ambassador Joseph Ayalogu has called for stronger diplomatic action, urging African governments to demand compensation for victims of xenophobic attacks and ensure better protection for foreign nationals in South Africa.
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