The Federal Government has commended the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) for donating $265,854 to support the evacuation of distressed Nigerians from South Africa.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, on Friday in Abuja.
According to the ministry, the donation will fund 500 one-way air tickets for Nigerians seeking to return home following xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa.
The Federal Government described the RCCG evacuation support as a significant demonstration of compassion and solidarity with Nigerians affected by the situation.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to convey the profound gratitude of the Federal Government of Nigeria to the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), led by Pastor Enoch Adeboye,” the statement said.
The ministry noted that the gesture also demonstrated how collaboration between faith-based organisations and government institutions could help address social challenges.
It said it looked forward to working with RCCG’s leadership in South Africa to deploy the donation towards the evacuation of the 500 Nigerians.
The Federal Government began the ongoing evacuation exercise on June 10 following a new wave of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Africans and other nationals in South Africa.
The ministry said 1,640 Nigerian nationals had so far been brought back to the country.
Of that number, the Federal Government fully sponsored the return of 1,385 Nigerians, while philanthropic donations covered the evacuation of the remaining 255.
The ministry added that 202 Nigerians are currently awaiting final screening by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs before they can be evacuated.
Nigeria’s High Commission in Pretoria and Consulate General in Johannesburg, it said, remain operational and continue to reach out to Nigerians through community associations and other established channels.
The efforts are aimed at assisting Nigerians who wish to return home because of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks.
The Federal Government also reaffirmed its engagement with South African authorities to address concerns surrounding xenophobia and Afrophobia against Nigerians.
It said the welfare and wellbeing of Nigerians living abroad remained a priority under President Bola Tinubu’s 4Ds foreign policy framework.
The ministry further acknowledged Tinubu’s intervention at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Luanda, Angola, on August 30.
According to the ministry, the President had expressed concern over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa and called for urgent collective action to address the problem.
