Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Federal Government has firmly denied receiving any formal request from South Africa for the reimbursement of costs incurred in repatriating Nigerian and other migrants from the country, as a diplomatic row threatens to erupt between Africa's two largest economies over an alleged $18.5 million bill. The denial, issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026, comes just days after South African officials told Parliament that written requests for compensation had been sent to Nigeria, Malawi and Ethiopia.
The dispute stems from South Africa's intensified crackdown on undocumented migrants, which has seen more than 82,000 people either voluntarily return to their home countries or be deported. South Africa's Department of Home Affairs told lawmakers on Tuesday, August 11, that it had spent approximately R292.77 million, about $18.5 million, on accommodating, transporting and processing migrants during the operation. Home Affairs Director-General Tommy Makhode described the expenditure as "unforeseen and unavoidable" and confirmed that formal requests for reimbursement had been sent through the Department of International Relations and Cooperation to Malawi and the embassies of Nigeria and Ethiopia.
But Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has pushed back forcefully. Spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa told the BBC and other news outlets that the government had received no such document. "It is not true, we have not received any document to that effect," Ebienfa stated. Nigeria's Consul General in South Africa, Ninikanwa Okey-Uche, also confirmed that no reimbursement demand had been communicated to the Nigerian mission in Pretoria. The Nigerian government has also not received a response to its own request for compensation for Nigerians who were forced to leave businesses and property behind amid anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa.
The reported South African request has drawn sharp criticism from Nigerian political figures. Denge Josef Onoh, a former South-East spokesman for President Bola Tinubu, rejected the demand outright, describing it as an "illegal levy" and insisting that Nigeria would not pay a single cent of the $18.5 million bill. Onoh argued that the costs incurred by South African authorities in managing immigration-related operations should not automatically be transferred to other sovereign governments. He also cited Nigeria's historical contribution of over $61 billion to the anti-apartheid struggle, questioning the fairness of South Africa's demand.
The dispute threatens to further strain relations between Abuja and Pretoria, which have been fragile since the wave of xenophobic attacks and anti-immigrant protests earlier this year. Nigeria had previously indicated that it would seek compensation for Nigerian nationals who lost property and businesses during the violence, with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, confirming that the government was documenting losses to support its claims. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had sent his Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, to Abuja in an effort to ease tensions, but the reimbursement demand has now placed the fragile rapprochement under renewed pressure.
South African authorities have continued enforcement operations at borders and through facilities such as the Lindela Repatriation Centre, with thousands of undocumented migrants deported in recent months. The country's Home Affairs Department said the expenditure covered buses to transport migrants, temporary repatriation centres, staff overtime and other operational costs. Some municipalities and government departments involved in the repatriation are also demanding compensation from the Home Affairs department, since the costs had not been budgeted for.
The Nigerian government has yet to formally respond to South Africa's reimbursement request, as it insists no formal request has been received. However, the reported demand has already ignited a fierce debate about the responsibilities of host countries towards migrants and the fairness of passing on operational costs to countries of origin. The outcome of this dispute could have far-reaching implications for diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa, as well as for the treatment of African migrants across the continent.
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