Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, says the Federal Government will pursue compensation for businesses and properties left behind by Nigerians returning home under its voluntary evacuation programme.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday, Ajayi explained that the government had begun documenting assets abandoned by returnees ahead of planned anti-immigrant protests in South Africa.
“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. We can now take it up with the South African government. That is the next step we are going to take,” he said.
Ajayi stressed that the evacuation exercise would not end with repatriation, noting that Nigeria would systematically follow up with South African authorities to secure possible compensation.
He also rejected claims that most Nigerians in South Africa were undocumented, insisting that delays in immigration document renewals had trapped many legal migrants in bureaucratic backlogs.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, an Air Peace aircraft departed Nigeria on Monday and was expected to return to Lagos on Tuesday morning with another batch of evacuees.
The latest evacuation comes as anti-immigration groups prepare demonstrations from June 30, prompting Nigeria to intensify efforts to assist citizens willing to return.
Former Nigerian ambassador to Switzerland, Joseph Ayalogu, also urged African governments to demand compensation for victims of xenophobic attacks.
He condemned repeated assaults on foreign-owned businesses and called for stronger enforcement of South African laws.
“It’s unfortunate that they are targeting people’s businesses… the government has to even begin to think of compensating those who have lost their livelihood and investments,” Ayalogu said.
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