The Nigerian government has announced plans to seek compensation for citizens forced to leave behind businesses, vehicles, and other valuable assets while returning home from South Africa amid growing anti-immigrant tensions.

This development was disclosed on Tuesday by Alexander Ajayi, Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, during a television interview as fresh batches of Nigerians prepared to arrive in Lagos under an ongoing voluntary evacuation arrangement coordinated by the government.

According to Ajayi, many Nigerians currently returning home made the decision voluntarily ahead of planned anti-immigration protests expected to begin across parts of South Africa.

He revealed that authorities have already started gathering detailed records of abandoned properties belonging to affected citizens as part of efforts to formally engage the South African government on possible compensation.

Speaking on the matter, Ajayi said affected Nigerians had been instructed to accurately document every property left behind, including businesses, vehicles, shops, and other movable or immovable assets.

He explained that discussions had already begun with South African officials and stressed that the evacuation process would go beyond simply bringing citizens home.

According to him, the Federal Government intends to pursue the matter through diplomatic channels to ensure Nigerians do not permanently lose assets built over years of hard work abroad.

Ajayi also dismissed claims suggesting most Nigerians living in South Africa are undocumented migrants.

He stated that many entered the country legally but later encountered administrative delays while attempting to renew immigration documents due to long-standing processing backlogs within South Africa’s immigration system.

Meanwhile, another evacuation flight operated by flyairpeace.com departed Nigeria on Monday and is expected to return with additional Nigerians participating in the repatriation programme.

The evacuation effort comes as South Africa braces for new anti-immigration demonstrations, with Nigerian authorities continuing to support citizens willing to return home while broader diplomatic engagement remains ongoing.