Final Evacuation Flight to Bring 315 Nigerians Home from South Africa

The Federal Government has announced that the final evacuation flight for stranded Nigerians in South Africa will arrive in Lagos on Wednesday, July 15, bringing home 315 returnees.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Air Peace-operated flight is scheduled to depart Johannesburg at 1:30 a.m. and land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, by approximately 6:30 a.m.

The ministry said the flight marks the conclusion of the government’s evacuation programme, which began on June 11, 2026, following unrest in parts of South Africa.

With the arrival of the final batch, a total of 1,456 Nigerians would have been evacuated through government and private arrangements. This includes 1,141 people flown home on earlier government-coordinated flights, 315 passengers on the final flight, 66 Nigerians evacuated through private efforts, and 39 others transported under a separate Air Peace initiative.

The evacuation exercise was launched after Nigerians in South Africa appealed for assistance amid anti-immigrant protests led by the March and March movement, which has been campaigning for the removal of foreign nationals, particularly other Africans.

In a statement, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, confirmed that the fifth and final Air Peace evacuation flight would depart Johannesburg as scheduled.

The President of the Nigerian Citizens Association in South Africa, Rev. Frank Onyekwelu, also confirmed the arrangements, noting that passengers listed for the flight had been instructed to report to the Nigerian High Commission to complete departure formalities.

The Federal Government says the evacuation underscores its commitment to protecting the welfare of Nigerian citizens abroad during periods of crisis.