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By Gloria Ikibah

The Federal Government has confirmed the arrival of 83 Nigerian returnees from South Africa, describing the successful repatriation as another demonstration of its commitment to protecting the welfare of citizens living abroad.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday announced that the returnees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, aboard a South African Airways flight from Johannesburg.

According to the ministry, the returnees were accompanied by two officials from the Consulate-General of Nigeria in Johannesburg.

In a statement signed by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, the government disclosed that the latest evacuation exercise was made possible through the intervention of private individuals who paid for the flight tickets.

“The Ministry wishes to reiterate the fact that the repatriation exercise of this batch of returnees was facilitated through the procurement of flight tickets by good-spirited private individuals, whose generous support enabled their safe return to Nigeria,” the statement said.

The ministry noted that upon arrival in Lagos, the returnees were officially received by the Director of the African Affairs Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe, who welcomed them on behalf of the Federal Government.

Following their arrival, the returnees were handed over to the appropriate government agencies for documentation and profiling before being reunited with their families.

“Upon arrival, the returnees were received by the Director, African Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Haruna Ali-Gombe, who welcomed them on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“Thereafter, they were handed over to the relevant Government Agencies for necessary documentation and profiling ahead of their reunification with their families,” the statement added.

The ministry expressed appreciation to the Nigerian Mission in South Africa, the private individuals who financed the operation and the agencies that coordinated the reception process.

It also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring the safety and welfare of Nigerians living overseas.

“The Federal Government remains committed to the welfare and safe return of all Nigerian citizens abroad and expresses profound appreciation to the Nigerian Mission in South Africa, the private individuals who sponsored the exercise, and all agencies involved in ensuring a smooth reception and reintegration process,” the ministry stated.

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National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, on Wednesday said President Bola Tinubu will lose the 2027 general elections before 4 pm if the poll were credible, free and fair.

Baba-Ahmed described the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a monster eating itself up, saying that despite controlling the National Assembly and having 31 state governors, the President remained uneasy because Nigeria had become worse under his leadership.

He spoke on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, where he said Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun State governorship election had demonstrated that the APC could be defeated at the polls.

He said: “I saw the now sworn-in Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State speak in a very confident, very comfortable manner. APC was trounced in Osun. We didn’t even see a coalition or collaboration or a gang-up against the APC. Parties all competed against one another. Yet, APC was defeated. We have even heard stories that there was a deal between President Tinubu and Governor Ademola Adeleke. But we don’t believe that. We believe that the ruling party, Accord Party, defeated APC comprehensively. There’s no reason why this cannot repeat itself at a national level.

“APC is not a party. It is a monster eating itself up and eating everybody up. You have a party that has a president who is quite possibly the most powerful president, who has either given himself or been given by the people around him the most awesome powers to do anything he wants. You have a president who believes he must have all the power around him. He appears to have garnered the support of 31 governors and quite possibly about 75 per cent of the National Assembly, yet he’s still uncomfortable. It’s politically monstrous.

“If it’s a credible, free and fair election, I assure you, Tinubu will lose. I won’t say before 12 noon. Maybe before 4 pm. Nobody should praise INEC until it can actually conduct an election in which the President is a contestant. I hope the election will be credible, free and fair. If it’s not, I foresee a very serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.”

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The Japanese Government, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has committed N20 billion to expand and rehabilitate Nigeria’s national electricity grid, with the Apapa Transmission Substation in Lagos among the key beneficiaries.

JICA Chief Representative in Nigeria, Ishigame Keiji, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Wednesday.

He said the 2.35 billion Japanese yen funding would cover construction, equipment procurement, engineering services, operational training and other project activities.

According to Keiji, the intervention is aimed at strengthening critical transmission infrastructure in Lagos, where rising electricity demand and ageing facilities have placed pressure on the power system.

He said the rehabilitation of the Apapa substation had increased transmission capacity, improved reliability and reduced bottlenecks affecting electricity evacuation and distribution across Lagos and neighbouring areas.

Japan, through JICA, is also implementing another concessional-loan project to improve the transmission network covering Lagos and Ogun states.

Keiji added that JICA would provide technical assistance and policy advisers to the Ministry of Power to support reforms and improve the development of Nigeria’s electricity sector.

“The Government of Japan, through JICA, is collaborating with the Ministry of Power to enhance stable and reliable power supply in Nigeria,” he said.

He said Japanese companies and other private investors remained interested in Nigeria because of its large market, urging stronger government support and increased private-sector participation.

He disclosed that JICA was collaborating with the World Bank on mini-grid development, particularly for rural communities, while deploying experts to support policy and institutional reforms in the power sector.