Published by Osasere Edomwonyi Ikpoba
In a remarkable display of faith-based humanitarianism, the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), led by its General Overseer, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, has donated $265,854 to the Federal Government to fund the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians seeking to flee the wave of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks sweeping across South Africa. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, conveyed the "profound gratitude" of the Federal Government for the generous intervention, which will purchase 500 one-way tickets for citizens desperate to return home.
The donation is a significant boost to the Federal Government's ongoing evacuation exercise, which commenced on June 10, 2026, following a fresh wave of violence targeting foreign nationals in South Africa. According to the ministry, a total of 1,640 Nigerian nationals have so far been brought back home, with the Federal Government fully sponsoring the return of 1,385 of them. The evacuations of the remaining 255 were sponsored through philanthropic donations. The Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, Ambassador Ajayi Alexander, provided a slightly different tally, stating that 1,695 Nigerians had been evacuated this year, including 1,490 through government-sponsored arrangements and 205 with support from private individuals.
The RCCG's intervention comes at a critical moment, with anti-immigrant groups in South Africa issuing fresh threats against foreigners and setting a deadline for them to leave the country by the end of September. Ambassador Alexander, who spoke during a visit by fellows of the MTN Media Innovation Programme in Pretoria, confirmed that the mission was preparing for another evacuation after the RCCG offered to sponsor the return of 500 Nigerians. He appealed to other religious organisations and private individuals to help fund further evacuations, stressing that the mission's priority was to prevent Nigerians from being exposed to violence.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the donation as "a significant demonstration of RCCG's compassion, solidarity and genuine commitment to providing succour to distressed and stranded Nigerians who are faced with the scourges of Xenophobia and Afrophobia in South Africa". Adeniyi's statement further underscored the importance of collaboration between faith-based organisations and public institutions in addressing social challenges, noting that the gesture "further demonstrates the impact that collaboration between faith-based organisations and public institutions can have in addressing social challenges and advancing the common good".
"We are grateful for this partnership and look forward to working with the church's leadership in South Africa, as the generous donation is applied to the evacuation of 500 distressed Nigerians," Adeniyi said. The ministry also confirmed that 202 Nigerians are currently awaiting final screening by South Africa's Department of Home Affairs before they can be evacuated. The High Commission in Pretoria and Consulate General in Johannesburg remain open, continuing to reach out through Nigerian Community Associations and other established channels to assist citizens who desire to return home.
The donation is the latest in a series of philanthropic efforts to support the evacuation. Earlier, private individuals facilitated two repatriation flights that landed in Lagos. The Federal Government has also acknowledged that philanthropic donations had already sponsored the evacuation of 255 Nigerians, although it did not previously identify RCCG or disclose the amount of its contribution. The latest statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides a specific breakdown of the church's contribution, including the amount and the 500 tickets it will fund.
The evacuation exercise was triggered by a resurgence of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa, which have raised serious concerns over the safety of Nigerians and other African nationals in the country. The Federal Government began bringing its citizens home in June, with the first batch of 262 Nigerians departing Johannesburg for Lagos on June 11 aboard a Federal Government-funded Air Peace flight. The government had initially announced plans to repatriate more than 1,000 Nigerians who had indicated a desire to leave South Africa amid the renewed tensions. By July 11, six batches had brought the total number of returnees to 1,174. The latest Foreign Affairs Ministry figures show that the exercise has since expanded to 1,640 returnees.
The Federal Government has also reaffirmed its engagement with the South African authorities to address the "irritants of Xenophobia and Afrophobia" against Nigerians. The ministry recalled President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's intervention during the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union held on August 30, 2026, in Luanda, Angola. According to the ministry, the President was "unequivocal in expressing concern over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa, and calling for urgent collective attention to address the situation".
Nigeria has described attacks on its citizens in South Africa as a recurring problem. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye previously said 98 Nigerians had died in mob and hate-related incidents since 2022. In July, South Africa's Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, led a delegation to Abuja after President Tinubu directed talks with Nigerian officials on the issue. Ambassador Alexander said the two countries had agreed on five areas, including preventive mechanisms, prosecution of offenders, restraint by public officials, respect for the rule of law, and possible compensation for Nigerians whose property was damaged or abandoned during attacks. However, an early-warning mechanism under a proposed Nigeria-South Africa memorandum of understanding remains unresolved, with the agreement having been under negotiation for six to seven years.
The RCCG's donation comes amid growing concerns over the safety of Nigerians in South Africa, with Ambassador Alexander warning that the mission was not taking the latest threats lightly. He said the evacuations were voluntary, meaning some Nigerians who registered to return did not eventually show up for the flights. Some of those repatriated owned property in South Africa, while others were legal residents who became caught up in the situation after delays prevented them from renewing their residence permits.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has welcomed impactful partnerships with private organisations, philanthropists, faith-based organisations, development partners, and other stakeholders whose contributions can engender meaningful and lasting positive bearing on Nigerians in the Diaspora. The Federal Government remains resolutely committed to promoting the welfare and well-being of Nigerians in the Diaspora, in line with the 4Ds foreign policy priorities of the Tinubu administration.
As the evacuation exercise continues and the RCCG's donation is deployed to facilitate the return of 500 distressed Nigerians, the church's intervention stands as a powerful testament to the role of faith-based organisations in addressing humanitarian crises. For the 500 Nigerians who will benefit from this gesture, the donation represents not just a ticket home, but a lifeline—a chance to escape the spectre of xenophobic violence and rebuild their lives in the safety of their homeland.
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