The Federal Government has launched a comprehensive reintegration program to support Nigerians evacuated from South Africa.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Ademola Oshodi, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Protocol, assured returnees they would not be left stranded.
He explained that the government is providing financial aid and transportation while collaborating with state authorities to ease their transition.
Additionally, a new database tracking the returnees will help agencies monitor their welfare and connect them to jobs, healthcare, and essential services.
He explained that the reintegration effort was being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission in collaboration with state governments.
“The government is giving them money and transportation to their various destinations. State governors have also supported their indigenes returning from South Africa,” Oshodi said.
He added that many of the returnees had lived in South Africa for decades and were returning with limited resources after being displaced by anti-migrant protests.
“It’s not just about bringing them back and abandoning them. There is a step-by-step process to ensure they are reintegrated into Nigerian society. It won’t be easy because many of them have lived there for 20 or 30 years, but the government is committed to making the transition as smooth as possible,” he said.
Oshodi also said the government would continue to protect the legal rights of Nigerians who have legitimate reasons to return to South Africa, including those married to South African citizens or those with businesses and investments in the country.
“If they have legal rights to return to South Africa or investments they need to manage, the Nigerian government will engage South African authorities to ensure those rights are respected,” he stated.
On calls for stronger retaliatory measures against South Africa over the treatment of Nigerians, Oshodi said Nigeria would continue to pursue diplomatic engagement rather than confrontation.
He said while the Federal Government strongly condemned attacks on Nigerians, it remained committed to resolving the matter through established diplomatic channels.
“We’re not going to war with South Africa over this matter. We will ensure our nationals are protected through the right diplomatic channels, their investments are protected, and Nigeria continues to command respect in its international engagements,” he said.
Oshodi stressed that Nigeria would not tolerate the mistreatment of its citizens anywhere in the world, recalling that the Federal Government had previously protested the treatment of Nigerians deported from the United States.
He said Nigeria had objected to the use of handcuffs and leg restraints on deported Nigerians, insisting that its citizens deserved to be treated with dignity and respect.
The presidential aide maintained that South Africa had taken note of Nigeria’s diplomatic representations over the anti-migrant protests and assured that Abuja would continue engaging Pretoria to safeguard the rights and welfare of Nigerians living in the country.
“We are the natural leader in Africa, and it’s important that Nigeria’s rights and the rights of its citizens are respected. South Africa is taking note of our concerns, and they will not take Nigeria for granted,” Oshodi said.
