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The Federal Government has announced that 83 Nigerian nationals will return from South Africa on Wednesday as part of efforts to assist citizens wishing to come back home.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said the returnees would arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, aboard a South African Airways flight.
According to the ministry, the flight is scheduled to depart O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg at 3:35 p.m. local time and arrive in Lagos at about 8:45 p.m. on Wednesday.
The ministry disclosed that the evacuation of the 83 Nigerians is being funded by public-spirited private individuals who sponsored the air tickets, describing the gesture as a significant contribution to the welfare of citizens abroad.
It noted that the latest return follows the conclusion of the Federal Government's voluntary repatriation programme, under which about 1,490 Nigerians were brought back from South Africa amid incidents of Afrophobia and anti-foreigner sentiments.
The ministry reaffirmed the Tinubu administration's commitment to protecting the rights, welfare and dignity of Nigerians living overseas through its Citizen Diplomacy policy.
It stressed that Nigerians in the diaspora remain valuable contributors to national development and assured that the government would continue to safeguard their interests.
The Federal Government also commended the philanthropists and private individuals who supported the latest evacuation exercise, describing their intervention as an example of effective public-private collaboration in responding to humanitarian needs.
It urged corporate organisations, state governments, the organised private sector and well-meaning Nigerians both at home and abroad to support similar initiatives to strengthen the country's capacity to respond to consular emergencies.
The ministry added that the government would continue to engage South Africa and other partner countries to tackle the root causes of Afrophobia and ensure that perpetrators of violence and discrimination against Nigerians are brought to justice.
