FedefederaBy Gloria Ikibah

The Federal Government has intensified the evacuation of Nigerians from South Africa, with a second Air Peace flight bringing home 269 returnees ahead of South Africa’s deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country.

According to a statement issued by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa,  on Tuesday, he said the evacuation flight departed Johannesburg and landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos on Tuesday at 10:48 a.m.

The latest group adds to the 66 Nigerians who returned on 24 June aboard a South African Airways flight facilitated by a Nigerian benefactor, bringing the total number of evacuees so far to 335.

The Ministry disclosed that the 269 returnees were accompanied by officials of the Nigerian Mission in South Africa and were formally received on arrival by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led by the Director of the African Affairs Department, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe.

During the reception, Ambassador Ali-Gombe conveyed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s goodwill message to the returnees and reassured them of the government’s continued support.

He said: “The heartfelt greetings and assurances of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, are conveyed to the returning nationals, reaffirming the Federal Government’s steadfast commitment to ensure the safety of Nigerian nationals living outside the country.”

The Ministry noted that the evacuation exercise remains ongoing as the South African government’s 30 June deadline for undocumented migrants takes effect.

It assured that additional evacuation flights have been scheduled to return more Nigerians who have completed the screening process and voluntarily opted to come home.

“With the June 30 deadline on undocumented foreigners to leave South Africa, the Federal Government wishes to reiterate the fact that the evacuation process is still on course and more flights are expected in the country in the next few days to evacuate all Nigerians that have been screened and cleared to voluntarily return to the country”, it read.

The Ministry also reaffirmed Nigeria’s diplomatic engagement with the South African authorities, stressing that efforts would continue to safeguard the welfare and rights of Nigerians still residing in the country.

“Government will continue to engage South African authorities at the highest levels to ensure the protection of Nigerian nationals living in the country”, it added.

The latest evacuation forms part of the Federal Government’s broader response to South Africa’s immigration enforcement measures, with authorities maintaining that all eligible Nigerians who have indicated their willingness to return home will be repatriated in the coming days.

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The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening citizen engagement as a critical pillar of macroeconomic stability, while spotlighting far-reaching reforms in the banking sector that are strengthening depositor protection, reinforcing financial system resilience and advancing the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The commitment was made at the Q2 2026 Citizens and Stakeholders’ Engagement Session convened by the Federal Ministry of Finance in Abuja.

Speaking during the session, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mr. Raymond Omachi, said the engagement reflects government’s deliberate commitment to transparency, accountability and inclusive governance by creating a platform through which citizens and stakeholders can engage directly with ongoing economic reforms, government priorities and institutional performance.

He noted that the Federal Ministry of Finance occupies a strategic position in the management of the nation’s public finances and remains committed to implementing fiscal policies that restore macroeconomic stability, strengthen public financial management and place the economy on a sustainable growth trajectory.

According to him, sustained engagement with citizens has become indispensable to effective policy implementation, improved service delivery and the consolidation of public confidence in government institutions.

He added that the initiative also provides an avenue for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to demonstrate progress in delivering Presidential directives and ministerial priorities.

Mr. Omachi highlighted the strategic role of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) in safeguarding financial system stability, describing the Corporation as a critical institution responsible for protecting depositors, promoting confidence in the banking industry and preserving the soundness of Nigeria’s financial system.

Presenting the Corporation’s scorecard, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NDIC, Mr. Thompson Oludare Sunday, outlined a series of reforms and milestones that have significantly strengthened the nation’s financial safety net.

He disclosed that deposit insurance coverage was increased tenfold in 2024, raising the maximum insured amount for commercial bank depositors from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million, with 98.98 per cent of depositors now fully protected under the scheme.

He further revealed that the Corporation has significantly accelerated depositor reimbursement, paying insured depositors within four days following the closure of Heritage Bank and within 72 hours after the revocation of the licences of Aso Savings and Loans Plc and Union Homes Savings and Loans Plc, demonstrating its readiness to protect depositors and sustain confidence in the financial system.

According to him, the NDIC currently provides deposit insurance coverage for more than 281 million depositor accounts across 914 licensed financial institutions, underscoring the breadth of protection available within Nigeria’s banking ecosystem.

Mr. Oludare also announced that the banking sector recapitalisation exercise has attracted over ₦4.61 trillion in fresh capital, considerably strengthening the resilience of financial institutions and enhancing their capacity to finance productive sectors of the economy.

On the Corporation’s contribution to public finance, he disclosed that the NDIC has remitted over ₦505.53 billion into the Consolidated Revenue Fund since 2023, bringing its cumulative remittance to more than ₦950.52 billion.

He described the achievement as evidence of prudent financial management, operational efficiency and the Corporation’s sustained contribution to national revenue generation.

He further explained that the NDIC Act, 2023 (Act No. 33), provides the Corporation with four core mandates: Deposit Guarantee, Bank Supervision, Distress Resolution and Bank Liquidation.

He said these statutory responsibilities continue to underpin the Corporation’s efforts to protect depositors, maintain financial stability and support national economic development.

In his Vote of Thanks, the Director of Economic Research and Policy Management Department, Mr. Othma Abubakar Musa, commended the Honourable Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, as well as the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Raymond Omachi, for their strategic leadership and steadfast support for reforms aimed at strengthening fiscal sustainability and advancing inclusive economic growth.

He also appreciated participants for their active engagement and reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to sustaining stakeholder dialogue, strengthening public confidence in ongoing economic reforms and ensuring that citizens remain active partners in advancing Nigeria’s economic stability, fiscal resilience and inclusive national development.