The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has activated coordinated reception arrangements for Nigerian citizens being evacuated from the Republic of South Africa, as part of efforts to ensure a smooth and orderly reintegration process.
The development was confirmed in Lagos, where the Director General of NEMA, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, directed the deployment of the Agency’s response team to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport to receive the returnees in collaboration with relevant government agencies and stakeholders.
According to the Agency, the first batch of evacuees is scheduled to depart the O.R. Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, on Wednesday night and is expected to arrive in Nigeria in the early hours of Thursday, June 11, 2026, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.
NEMA noted that the activation of the reception mechanism is aimed at ensuring proper coordination, humane reception, and immediate post-arrival support for the returning citizens in line with established national emergency response protocols.
The Agency further assured that all necessary logistics and inter-agency coordination frameworks have been put in place to facilitate the safe arrival and processing of the evacuees upon landing.
The exercise underscores the Federal Government’s continued commitment to the welfare and dignity of Nigerian citizens abroad, particularly in situations requiring assisted return and emergency humanitarian response.
