In an interview in Abuja on Saturday, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, revealed the progress of the screening process being carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria and South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs.
Dabiri-Erewa expressed her delight at the turnout on the third day of the exercise, praising the strong response from Nigerians eager to return home voluntarily.
Despite the challenging emotions surrounding the current situation, she commended the smooth, peaceful, and well-coordinated nature of the screening process, attributing its success to the effective oversight of Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner, Amb. Olatunde Ajayi.
With over 1,000 Nigerians already signed up for the voluntary evacuation and more individuals continuing to join, plans are in place for the flights to kick off next week through Air Peace, with funds approved by President Bola Tinubu for this purpose.
Dabiri-Erewa also announced that five flights are set for the repatriation, with the first group of evacuees expected to depart for Nigeria in the upcoming week.
The decision to bring back Nigerians comes at a crucial time, amidst safety concerns for foreign nationals following recent anti-immigrant protests in various parts of South Africa.