No Nigerian who wants to leave South Africa will be left behind — Minister

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has promised that any Nigerian who wishes to leave South Africa will be evacuated.

The minister, according to his media aide, Dr Magnus Eze, gave the assurance while responding to a question on the fate of Nigerians in South Africa.

Eze in a statement said that the minister noted that it was the policy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s New Hope Government that no Nigerian would be allowed to suffer unnecessarily at the hands of misguided Africans.

No fewer than 1,000 Nigerians have registered to be evacuated from South Africa before the June 30 deadline.

The first batch of 258 Nigerian nationals evacuated by the Federal Government on June 11, 2026 have returned to the country.

“He noted that the President, in the context of citizen diplomacy, empathizes with Nigerians who are experiencing all kinds of discriminatory acts around the world and has directed that those who are in danger in South Africa and have voluntarily shown their willingness to return to their country should leave the country before the stipulated deadline.

“The Minister further indicated that as a law-abiding country, any retaliation against anti-migrant acts in South Africa must follow the applicable legislative process.

“He explained that so far, the executive branch has actively engaged with the South African authorities through diplomatic channels and broader actions.”

The minister also said the National Assembly has a constitutional role in determining Nigeria’s response if diplomatic relations fail to stop attacks on Nigerians and their businesses.

“In situations like this, of course we need to be calm and careful. But when your citizens are being harassed, when your citizens are people who have spent years there, and remember, some of them are married to South Africans and have children who know no country other than South Africa, then this is a serious concern.

“Now, in a situation like this, they are not only asking Nigerians, but also their spouses and children in South Africa, to leave South Africa,” the minister said.

He continued, “As I mentioned earlier, there are large conglomerates. By the way, there are over 120 South African companies operating in Nigeria. They are South African companies operating in Nigeria. They are large conglomerates operating in Nigeria. They are large conglomerates operating in Nigeria. They are large conglomerates in Nigeria. They are South African companies operating in Nigeria. They are large conglomerates in Nigeria. They are South African companies operating operating in Nigeria.”

“No one asked them to provide proof of identity. No one asked the South African staff working there whether they were South African or Nigerian, and no one took over their shops or businesses.

“But this is happening to Nigerians in South Africa. So, I think we really have to review the options at some point.

“We have MTN, MultiChoice, Stanbic, Protea and many other South African brands covering various sectors.”

Vigilante groups have reportedly targeted migrants in several cities, looting their shops, breaking into their homes, and subjecting them to intimidation and humiliation. Mobs are also alleged to have killed several foreign nationals, while police and other security agencies were accused of doing little to protect migrants or prevent attacks and called on them to leave the country.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu further said that xenophobic acts “cause reputational damage, and that is quite sad because the late Madiba, Nelson Mandela – God rest his soul – worked very hard to project South Africa as a bastion of Pan-Africanism.

“And in one fell swoop, this anti-immigrant vigilante group has destroyed what this man has sacrificed for 28 years in prison. So, this causes reputational damage.

“Even in South Africa itself, many people are canceling concerts, and conferences are being cancelled.

“South Africa has been stigmatized as a xenophobic country. I don’t think this is something they will be comfortable with in the long term.”

The minister strongly criticized South Africa’s failure to protect African migrants from xenophobic attacks in the country, and stated that this had damaged its reputation and international relations. Apart from Nigeria, countries such as Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique also evacuated their citizens.

The minister also revealed that the South African authorities canceled their memorandum of understanding with Nigeria regarding an early warning mechanism, which they had signed in October 2025. The pact was basically aimed at protecting the lives and property of Nigerian and South African citizens in times of conflict like this.

He explained that, instead, they faced resistance, with claims that the signatories were not the individuals required to validate the documents and that other formalities and processes needed to be completed.