The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced plans to seek compensation for businesses, vehicles, homes, and other valuable assets abandoned by Nigerians returning from South Africa amid renewed anti-immigration tensions in the country.
The disclosure was made by Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, during an interview on Channels Television, where he explained that the government is compiling evidence of losses suffered by affected citizens as part of efforts to pursue compensation through diplomatic channels.
According to Ajayi, Nigerians who have returned home under the Federal Government’s voluntary evacuation programme are being encouraged to submit documentation of businesses, vehicles, properties, and other investments they were forced to leave behind due to security concerns.
He stated that the information gathered would support Nigeria’s engagement with the South African government in seeking appropriate compensation for verified losses.
The move comes after weeks of growing anti-immigration protests across parts of South Africa, where demonstrators have demanded the removal of undocumented foreign nationals. The protests raised fears of xenophobic attacks, prompting many foreign nationals, including Nigerians, to voluntarily return home.
Ajayi also dismissed claims that most Nigerians residing in South Africa are undocumented. He maintained that many entered the country legally but have experienced delays in renewing their immigration documents due to administrative backlogs within South Africa’s immigration system.
As part of the evacuation exercise, additional batches of Nigerian returnees are expected to arrive in Lagos aboard government-arranged flights. Authorities say the evacuation remains voluntary and is intended to assist citizens who no longer feel safe remaining in South Africa.
The Federal Government has not disclosed the total value of the compensation it intends to pursue, as the assessment of abandoned assets is still ongoing.
