The Federal Government has announced the return of another 83 Nigerians from South Africa, with the latest batch expected to arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement, saying the returnees would be conveyed aboard South African Airways from the Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg.

According to the ministry, the flight is scheduled to depart Johannesburg at 3:35pm local time and arrive in Lagos at approximately 8:45pm the same day.

The latest evacuation comes against the backdrop of rising concerns over Afrophobic attacks, xenophobic sentiments and hostility towards foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.

The ministry said the latest batch of returnees was facilitated through the intervention and sponsorship of flight tickets by public-spirited private individuals.

It expressed appreciation to the individuals for their support, describing their intervention as a demonstration of the importance of public-private collaboration in responding to consular emergencies.

The statement read: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pleased to announce that a new batch of 83 Nigerian nationals will arrive at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 via South African Airways.

“They are expected to depart the Oliver Tambo Airport in Johannesburg at 3.35pm local time to arrive Lagos at approximately 08.45pm the same day.

“The Ministry wishes to note that this latest cohort of returnees is facilitated through the kind intervention and sponsorship of tickets by public-spirited private individuals, whose generosity the federal government acknowledges with profound gratitude.”

The Federal Government had earlier concluded a voluntary repatriation programme through which nearly 1,490 Nigerians were evacuated from South Africa.

The ministry said the government remained committed to protecting the welfare, dignity and safety of Nigerians both within the country and abroad under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

It added that, through its Citizen Diplomacy agenda, Nigerians in the diaspora were regarded as critical assets to national development, stressing that their protection and well-being remained a priority.

The ministry also urged the organised private sector, corporate organisations, state governments and other well-meaning Nigerians to support government efforts in addressing consular emergencies.

It further said the government would continue to strengthen strategic engagements with host countries, including South Africa, to tackle the root causes of Afrophobia and prevent violence and discrimination against Nigerians.

According to the ministry, acts of violence and discrimination against Nigerians must be strongly condemned whenever they occur, while perpetrators should be held accountable.

The latest evacuation also comes as South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, announced September 30 as a fresh deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.

The group reportedly staged a protest outside the Southern African Development Community summit in Durban on Monday, escalating its campaign against undocumented migrants in the country.