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The Federal Government says 271 Nigerians will return from South Africa today, Friday, July 3, due to recent xenophobic protests.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the evacuees will arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at about 5:30 a.m.

Its spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, said the exercise shows the government’s commitment to protecting Nigerians abroad and ensuring their safe return during crises.

The first batch of 258 returnees arrived in Lagos on June 11 aboard a special Air Peace flight. They were received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, and handed over to government agencies for documentation and profiling.

The Ministry explained that logistic challenges delayed the second evacuation flight, prompting the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria to temporarily accommodate and care for affected citizens awaiting their return.

It added that a Nigerian philanthropist voluntarily sponsored the air tickets of 66 stranded nationals, who returned to Lagos aboard a South African Airways flight on June 24.

According to the statement, a second government-arranged evacuation flight landed in Lagos on June 30 with 269 returnees, bringing the total number of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa so far to 593.

The Ministry further announced that three additional evacuation flights have been scheduled to bring home all Nigerians who voluntarily registered for evacuation and have completed the required screening and clearance process.

It also dismissed allegations that officials of the Nigerian Mission in South Africa demanded money from citizens before including them on the evacuation list.

It emphasised that all special evacuation flights are fully funded by the Federal Government and that no returnee is required to pay any fee.

According to the statement, claims that mission staff requested payment for evacuation are false and should be disregarded.

It commended the cooperation of relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) involved in the operation, noting that their collaboration has contributed significantly to the success of the evacuation exercise.

It reaffirmed that the protection of Nigerians abroad remains a central pillar of Nigeria’s foreign policy, adding that the government will continue to provide support, dignity and care to citizens affected by crises overseas.

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…Plans FIFA-approved children’s and youth football academy

Zeberced Group has unveiled an ambitious investment programme that will train 20,000 Nigerians through a world-class Technical and Vocational Training School while creating no fewer than 40,000 direct jobs, in what it describes as one of the largest skills development and industrial empowerment initiatives in West Africa.

The company also announced plans to establish a FIFA-approved football academy for children and young people to identify, nurture and develop football talents for national and international opportunities.

The Managing Director of Zeberced Group, Mr. Adil Aydin Kurt, disclosed this during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, led by its Chairman, Comrade Grace Ike, to the company’s facilities at the Abuja Industrial Park Free Zone, where both organisations explored opportunities for strategic collaboration.

Speaking during the meeting, Mr. Kurt revealed that the proposed Technical and Vocational Training School would admit and train about 2,000 young Nigerians annually in various technical fields, with a projection of producing approximately 20,000 skilled graduates over the coming years.

He said the initiative would simultaneously create about 40,000 direct jobs, describing it as a transformational project designed to address unemployment, strengthen Nigeria’s industrial workforce and promote entrepreneurship.

“Zeberced is currently working on a vocational training school which will offer training in various fields to young Nigerians and, in the process, provide 40,000 direct jobs. This is going to be a sample project and is presently the biggest operation of its kind in West Africa,” Mr. Kurt said.

According to the architectural design of the institution, the school will offer specialised training in Construction Technology, Machine and Design Technology, Motor Vehicle Technology, Plumbing Technology, Metal Technology, Furniture Technology, and Electrical and Electronics Technology.

Mr. Kurt said the institution is being developed to equip Nigerian youths with practical, industry-relevant skills that will prepare them for employment, self-reliance and entrepreneurship.

Reaffirming the company’s confidence in Nigeria’s future, he said Zeberced remains committed to long-term investments that will accelerate skills acquisition, industrialisation and human capital development.

“We are very serious about our work. I have many ideas and visions to share. We need to bring qualified people from different parts of the world to Nigeria because the future is Africa,” he stated.

Beyond technical education, Mr. Kurt disclosed that Zeberced Group is also developing a FIFA-approved football academy dedicated to discovering and grooming talented children and young people for professional football careers at both local and international levels.

He further revealed that the company operates what he described as Africa’s first integrated mining quarry of its kind while continuing to expand investments across manufacturing, construction and other strategic sectors of the Nigerian economy.

Outlining the company’s broader industrial vision, the Managing Director said Zeberced plans to facilitate the establishment of hundreds of factories within the Idu Industrial Area to boost local manufacturing, create employment opportunities and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported products.

According to him, the industrial development project, which commenced about 15 years ago, has faced several challenges but has continued to make steady progress through resilience and sustained investment.

He explained that the company’s investments in manufacturing, furniture production, plastics and related industries, supported by modern infrastructure and state-of-the-art equipment, would significantly contribute to Nigeria’s industrial transformation.

Mr. Kurt stressed that Zeberced’s corporate philosophy is anchored on creating sustainable value for Nigeria through strategic investments, technology transfer, skills development and large-scale job creation.

Responding, the Chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, commended Zeberced Group for its commitment to youth empowerment, skills acquisition and national development.

She described the company’s proposed vocational training institution and industrial expansion as timely interventions capable of addressing unemployment, promoting self-reliance among young Nigerians and supporting the country’s economic diversification agenda.

Comrade Ike also briefed the company’s management on the Council’s ongoing ultra-modern Congress Hall project, which has reached the decking stage.

She appealed for Zeberced Group’s support towards the completion of the facility, explaining that the Congress Hall would provide a permanent venue for congresses, professional engagements, training programmes and other official activities of the NUJ FCT Council.

In response, Mr. Kurt expressed Zeberced Group’s willingness to support the project, reaffirming the company’s commitment to partnerships that strengthen institutions and contribute to national development.

The visit concluded with both organisations expressing optimism about building a strategic relationship that would promote industrial growth, youth development, professional capacity building and sustainable socio-economic development in Nigeria.

Zeberced Group has maintained operations in Nigeria since 2007, with investments spanning manufacturing, construction, industrial infrastructure and human capital development.

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The United States has withdrawn most of its troops deployed to Nigeria for a joint counterterrorism operation in the Lake Chad Basin but will continue intelligence sharing and other security cooperation with the Nigerian government.

The Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, General Dagvin R.M. Anderson, disclosed this on Thursday during a digital press briefing on the outcome of the African Chiefs of Defence Conference 2026.

According to Anderson, the operation in the Lake Chad Basin significantly disrupted the activities of the Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh) and contributed to global counterterrorism efforts.

“And so that operation in the Lake Chad Basin of Nigeria not only helped the countries in that immediate region; it also helps countries globally as that disrupts the ISIS network,” he said.

He explained that although the specific mission had ended and most of the U.S. personnel involved had departed Nigeria, Washington remained committed to supporting Abuja through intelligence collaboration and strategic partnerships.

“And so — and then we have withdrawn much of our forces that were just there for that operation, but are continuing the partnership that Nigeria has asked for to help continue with the intelligence sharing and the understanding that’s necessary to be able to prosecute these difficult tasks,” Anderson added.

The U.S. general described Nigeria as a capable ally with a strong military and noted that cooperation between both countries had produced significant gains against ISIS.

He revealed that intelligence sharing between the United States and Nigeria, combined with military operations by Nigerian forces, led to the successful elimination of the second-in-command of the global ISIS network.

“I think the partnership that we’ve shown recently with Nigeria, where Nigeria’s a very capable and large country — it’s got a strong economy; it’s got a large, educated population; it’s got a very capable military.

“But there are things that we have learned in the counterterrorist fight over several years that we were able to assist and integrate with them to help them with their intelligence and help with the intelligence sharing that eventually led to a cooperative effort to where we were able to bring some unique capabilities that the U.S. brings and be able to prosecute together the number two leader within the ISIS or Daesh organization who is responsible for much of their global operations, their global media, and their recruiting,” he said.

Anderson stressed that the success of the operation underscored the importance of intelligence cooperation rather than prolonged foreign military deployments.

“So I think as we go forward, that is an example of how we’re looking at engaging with partners to help them be more effective by only bringing unique U.S. capabilities that allow the partner to be effective in these fights,” he stated.

He also called for stronger intelligence sharing among African countries to combat terrorism, illicit trafficking and other transnational crimes.

According to him, enhanced cooperation recently helped authorities intercept a record 31-ton shipment of cocaine originating from South America and transiting along the West African coast.

“I was able to coordinate through our interagency in the United States, through AFRICOM, and then notify some of the partners. And eventually it was a Spanish ship that interdicted the ship that had 31 tons of cocaine on it, and it turns out is the largest interdiction of drugs at sea that we’ve ever seen,” Anderson said.

He added that sustained cooperation among African nations, international partners and the private sector remains essential to addressing security threats and creating a stable environment for economic growth and investment.

The United States deployed about 200 military personnel to Nigeria in February 2026 to support intelligence, surveillance and counterterrorism operations in the Lake Chad Basin amid deepening security cooperation between Washington and Abuja.

The deployment followed Nigeria’s redesignation as a Country of Particular Concern by U.S. President Donald Trump, who pledged to intensify American support against terrorist groups operating in the country.

On December 25, 2025, the United States carried out air strikes on two terrorist enclaves in the Bauni Forest in Tangaza Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

The partnership reached a major milestone in May 2026 when a joint U.S.-Nigerian operation killed Abu-Bilal Al-Minuki, the second-in-command of ISIS, at his hideout in Borno State.