Nigeria demands SA compensation for returning citizens, envoy reveals

Naijatuneshub Thursday, 30 July 2026, 7:42 pm

Members of the Zulu regiment known as the ‘Amabutho’ chant slogans as they march during a demonstration by the “March and March” movement marking an unofficial deadline set by citizen-led groups for undocumented foreign nationals to leave South Africa, in Durban, on June 30, 2026. Thousands of demonstrators massed across South African cities on June 30, 2026, venting anger at undocumented foreign nationals as police mounted a major operation to head off looting and xenophobic violence that has claimed four lives. The nationwide protests cap weeks of demonstrations called by a loose coalition of minor political parties and small citizen-led vigilante groups, which set an unofficial June 30 deadline for foreigners without residency papers to leave. (Photo by RAJESH JANTILAL / AFP)

South Africa Xenophobia: FG Demands Full Compensation for Returning Nigerians, Reveals Envoy 🇳🇬🇿🇦

The Federal Government of Nigeria has officially stepped up its game regarding the welfare of citizens fleeing South Africa. Following renewed anti-immigrant tensions and planned demonstrations, the FG announced it is demanding full compensation for Nigerians forced to abandon their hard-earned businesses and properties.

“Document Everything” – FG Tells Returnees

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, the Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Alexander Ajayi, dropped the major update.

According to Ambassador Ajayi, the government is not just interested in evacuating people safely—they want to make sure no Nigerian loses their life savings. He revealed that he recently met with the South African Deputy Minister of Finance to officially lay down Nigeria’s terms.

“I have asked them before they left… to document very accurately those things they were leaving behind in terms of businesses, in terms of even cars, movable and immovable properties. We can now take it up with the South African government. That is the next step we are going to take,” Ajayi stated.

The High Commission is currently cataloging every single piece of property—from shops to vehicles—so they can systematically trail them down to their exact locations in SA and present the bill to the South African government.

Setting the Record Straight on “Undocumented” Nigerians

Ambassador Ajayi also used the platform to violently smash the narrative that most Nigerians living in South Africa are “undocumented” or illegal immigrants.

He blamed the issue entirely on the South African Home Office, stating that a massive backlog over the last three to four years has left many legal migrants stranded without renewed papers.

The Real Cause: Delays and systemic failures within South Africa’s own immigration department.
The Reality: The vast majority of these Nigerians entered South Africa 100% legally but were caught up in a web of administrative sluggishness.

Massive Evacuations Underway

This development is coming right in the middle of the FG’s intense voluntary evacuation program. Hundreds of Nigerians have already been safely airlifted back home to Lagos via approved emergency flights to avoid the fallout of the June 30 anti-migrant deadlines set by local South African groups.

With prominent figures like former Swiss Ambassador Joseph Ayalogu also calling the attacks “Afrophobic” and calling for a stricter diplomatic stance, Nigeria is making it clear that the safety and economic investments of its diaspora will not be toyed with.

What do you think about this move by the Federal Government? Do you think South Africa will actually pay up? Drop your thoughts in the comment section below! Don’t forget to share this update on your socials.