Final evacuation flight scheduled to return 315 stranded Nigerians from South Africa

The Federal Government has completed logistical preparations for the final phase of its emergency evacuation program, with 315 stranded Nigerian nationals scheduled to return from South Africa on Wednesday, July 15.

According to an official statement released on Tuesday by Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the returnees will be transported back to Lagos aboard a chartered Air Peace flight.

The fifth and final evacuation flight is scheduled to depart Johannesburg at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. The aircraft is anticipated to touch down at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at approximately 6:30 a.m. local time.

This final flight marks the official conclusion of the federal intervention program, which was initiated to assist Nigerian citizens who expressed a desire to return home following a wave of xenophobic hostilities and rising security concerns across several South African provinces.

Prior to this final operation, the government had successfully executed four consecutive evacuation flights, repatriating hundreds of citizens who sought emergency departure.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated the administration’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding the welfare of Nigerian nationals living abroad and extended its appreciation to the various regional partners, aviation authorities, and state agencies that coordinated the multi-stage repatriation exercise.