The Federal Government has completed plans for the final phase of its Nigeria South Africa evacuation operation, with 315 stranded Nigerians expected to arrive in Lagos on Wednesday aboard an Air Peace flight. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the final evacuation flight will depart Johannesburg at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15, 2026, and is scheduled to land at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, at approximately 6:30 a.m.
According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the flight will mark the successful conclusion of the Federal Government’s Nigeria South Africa evacuation programme for citizens who requested assistance to return home following recent xenophobic attacks and security concerns in parts of South Africa.
The government had previously carried out four separate evacuation flights, safely returning hundreds of Nigerians from South Africa as part of its emergency response to the situation. Officials said the final Air Peace operation represents the last stage of the coordinated repatriation exercise, bringing to an end weeks of efforts to assist affected Nigerians who expressed willingness to return.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to protecting the welfare and safety of Nigerians living abroad, stressing that the successful completion of the Nigeria South Africa evacuation exercise reflects the government’s responsibility to its citizens regardless of their location.
The ministry also expressed appreciation to Air Peace and all government agencies and stakeholders whose collaboration ensured the smooth execution of the evacuation programme. With the arrival of the final batch of 315 returnees, the government says the emergency repatriation exercise from South Africa has now been successfully concluded.
