FG Reschedules airlift  of Nigerians from South Africa to Wednesday

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Federal Government has postponed the planned repatriation of Nigerians in South Africa to Wednesday.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the flight, earlier scheduled for Monday, was moved due to “unforeseen logistical considerations”.

The ministry spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, did not give further details on the delay.

It is still unclear where the returnees will arrive, either Abuja or Lagos, or the number of people expected in the first batch.

Reports indicate that the repatriation flight will be operated by Air Peace, although this has not been officially confirmed.

Screening of over 1,000 Nigerians in South Africa began last week as part of preparations for the evacuation following rising cases of xenophobic violence.

Nigeria’s High Commission in Pretoria said it had secured waivers from South African authorities to allow affected Nigerians with immigration-related issues to leave without being detained.

The development comes shortly after Ghana evacuated nearly 300 of its citizens from South Africa as part of a larger repatriation exercise.

The Nigerian government said it had submitted its list for approval earlier than Ghana, but Ghana’s evacuation was prioritised.

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