The Federal Government has announced plans to seek compensation from the South African government for businesses and properties abandoned by Nigerians who voluntarily returned home amid rising anti-immigration tensions.
Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, disclosed the move during an interview, explaining that authorities have begun documenting assets left behind by affected returnees to support future discussions with the South African government.
According to Ajayi, the issue has already been raised with South African officials.
> “Just three days ago, myself and the South African Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs were together, and we were discussing this,” he said.
Ajayi explained that Nigerian nationals returning home have been instructed to compile detailed records of their abandoned assets.
“We have agreed that we are going to ask our people who are returning to begin to document what they are leaving behind. I have asked them before they left yesterday to document very accurately those things they were leaving behind in terms of businesses, cars, movable and immovable properties,” he stated.
He said the information gathered would serve as the foundation for formal engagement with South African authorities.
“We can now take it up with the South African government. That is the next step we are going to take,” Ajayi said.
He stressed that the government’s intervention would extend beyond facilitating the return of its citizens.
“This repatriation will not end with just taking people to Nigeria. We are going to systematically follow up on the information given to us,” he added.
Ajayi also appealed to all affected Nigerians to provide complete and accurate details of their abandoned investments and properties.
“We are going to work with the South African government to get to the exact locations of all these businesses, shops and properties and present them to the South African government for possible compensation because we will not allow the labour people have suffered to build over the years to just go down the drain or be taken over by people,” he said.
The government’s decision comes against the backdrop of renewed anti-immigration demonstrations in South Africa, where some groups have accused foreign nationals of taking jobs meant for citizens. Rights groups had also set a June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country.
Ajayi noted that many Nigerians residing in South Africa are undocumented but clarified that those returning under the current exercise chose to leave voluntarily before the planned protests intensified.
Another group of evacuated Nigerians arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Tuesday from Johannesburg.
The latest arrivals follow the return of 258 Nigerians on June 11 and another 66 on June 24 under the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme, as authorities continue efforts to assist citizens affected by the growing anti-immigration climate in South Africa.
