Sixty-six more Nigerians have arrived back home from South Africa. The group landed at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Wednesday night.
This latest evacuation brings the total returnees to 324 citizens. President Bola Tinubu had approved the emergency repatriation programme for stranded Nigerians.
Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media and Public Relations at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, announced the development on Thursday. He detailed the progress of the ongoing evacuation efforts.
The first batch of 258 evacuees had arrived on June 11, 2026. Wednesday's arrival added another significant group to those brought back safely.
Otunba Soname, Chairman of ValueJet Airlines, facilitated the second evacuation operation. His airline provided critical support for the humanitarian mission.
Officials from Nigeria's embassy in South Africa accompanied the returnees throughout their journey. Government agencies received them upon arrival for processing and documentation.
The evacuees wasted no time expressing their gratitude. They thanked President Tinubu for greenlighting their return to Nigeria.
Praise also went to Soname for his airline's intervention. Temitope Alexander-Ajayi, Nigeria's Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, earned recognition for his role in coordinating arrangements.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman of NiDCOM, received commendation for her coordination efforts. The returnees also acknowledged NiDCOM's financial support for their resettlement.
Dipo Odebowale represented Dabiri-Erewa at the reception ceremony. He praised the President for prioritising the welfare of Nigerians living abroad.
According to Odebowale, logistical problems from the first evacuation phase are now resolved. Minister of Foreign Affairs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu addressed these challenges directly.
He promised that more evacuations would follow. Every registered Nigerian seeking to return home would be brought back, he assured the crowd.
Financial assistance flowed from multiple sources for the returnees. Private companies and religious organisations joined government agencies in providing support.
Governor Hope Uzodimma stepped in for evacuees from Imo State. Each person from his state received N1 million in direct assistance.
MTN, the telecommunications company, delivered substantial packages to the group. Each returnee got free SIM cards loaded with N50,000 worth of data.
The telecom giant added another N100,000 to individual bank accounts. This topped up the immediate cash support available to evacuees.
Bolaji Idowu, Lead Pastor of Harvesters International Christian Centre, donated generously. He gave N100,000 to each evacuee for their reintegration into society.
Multiple government agencies staffed the airport throughout the reception process. They handled documentation and provided comprehensive support services to all returnees.
