The Federal Government has intensified its citizen diplomacy policy with two major interventions aimed at protecting Nigerians abroad, including the evacuation of citizens from South Africa amid rising xenophobic attacks and the signing of a prisoner transfer agreement with Ethiopia to facilitate the return of Nigerian inmates.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, said the initiatives underscore President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to ensuring that no Nigerian is abandoned, regardless of where they reside.
According to the Minister’s Special Assistant on Communication and New Media, Dr. Magnus Eze, about 1,000 Nigerians have so far registered for voluntary evacuation from South Africa ahead of the June 30 deadline set by the Nigerian government.
The first batch of 258 returnees was airlifted to Nigeria and received at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on June 11, 2026, by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye.
Speaking on the situation in South Africa, Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the Renewed Hope Administration had directed that Nigerians facing threats to their safety and wishing to return home should do so before the expiration of the evacuation window.
She strongly condemned the wave of xenophobic attacks reportedly carried out by anti-migrant vigilante groups, accusing them of looting businesses, invading homes, and intimidating foreign nationals.
“This xenophobic action is causing reputational damage,” the minister said, lamenting that the violence undermines the Pan-African ideals championed by South Africa’s late anti-apartheid icon, Nelson Mandela.
“The late Madiba worked so hard to project South Africa as a bastion of Pan-Africanism, and these actions have severely damaged that legacy,” she stated.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted the human impact of the attacks, noting that many Nigerians have built families and businesses in South Africa, with some children knowing no other home.
She also disclosed that South Africa had set aside a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding signed with Nigeria in October 2025 on early warning mechanisms against xenophobic violence, reportedly arguing that those who signed the agreement lacked the authority to do so.
The minister noted that several African countries, including Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, have also commenced evacuating their citizens from South Africa..
The minister noted that several African countries, including Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, have also commenced evacuating their citizens from South Africa.
On the economic implications of the crisis, Odumegwu-Ojukwu pointed out that more than 120 South African companies currently operate freely in Nigeria.
She questioned why Nigerians in South Africa were facing hostility despite the cordial business environment enjoyed by South African firms in Nigeria, adding that the government may be compelled to review its options if the situation persists.
The minister stressed that Nigeria remains committed to diplomacy and the rule of law, explaining that any retaliatory measures would have to follow constitutional processes involving the National Assembly.
Nigeria, Ethiopia Sign Prisoner Transfer Agreement
In a separate development, the Federal Government has signed a Transfer of Sentenced Persons Agreement with Ethiopia, paving the way for 98 Nigerians currently serving prison terms in Ethiopia to complete their sentences in Nigeria.
The inmates are being held at the Kaliti and Aba Samuel maximum-security prisons in Ethiopia.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu said the agreement followed years of engagement after concerns were raised over the inmates’ living conditions, including poor feeding, inadequate healthcare, restricted visitation rights, limited legal assistance, and language barriers.
She revealed that four Nigerian inmates died while negotiations for the agreement were ongoing.
The minister dismissed as false a viral report claiming that 136 Nigerians were incarcerated in Ethiopian prisons, insisting that the agreement specifically covers 98 inmates.
She also rejected suggestions that the prisoners came from a particular ethnic group or region of the country.
“A lot of them are from the Southeast. There are also those from the Southwest and the South-South. Crime has no ethnicity,” she said.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu further clarified that the transfer does not amount to a pardon, noting that a key provision of the agreement prevents Nigeria from granting amnesty or presidential pardon to any transferred inmate without the consent of the Ethiopian government.
“The government is determined to bring the inmates home to serve their sentences with dignity without exposing them to inhuman conditions,” she added.
The minister said both the evacuation exercise and the prisoner transfer arrangement reflect the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad and promoting a citizen-centred foreign policy, adding that efforts are ongoing to assist other Nigerians facing challenges in different parts of the world.
