The return of 258 Nigerians from South Africa has sparked fresh conversations about the challenges faced by Nigerians living abroad, with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) insisting that the returnees were not criminals.
Chairman of NIDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the Nigerians evacuated from South Africa were victims of circumstances and had done nothing wrong to warrant the treatment they experienced.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television, Dabiri-Erewa said the only thing that made the returnees targets was their identity as Black immigrants living in South Africa.
According to her, the government’s intervention was aimed at bringing the Nigerians back home safely and beginning the process of helping them rebuild their lives.
“I tell you something about those 258 that came in. None of them committed any crime. The only crime they committed is the colour of their skin. They are black migrants in South Africa,” she said.
Tinubu Administration Welcomes Returnees
Dabiri-Erewa praised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for ensuring the evacuation of the Nigerians, describing the process as a successful collaboration between different agencies.
She said the return was achieved through cooperation among government bodies and other stakeholders who worked together to bring the citizens back safely.
The NIDCOM boss also highlighted support provided by telecommunications company MTN, which she said offered financial assistance to the returnees.
According to her, each person received ₦100,000, alongside ₦50,000 worth of airtime to help them reconnect and begin the next phase of their journey.
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“We are happy that President Tinubu ensured their return. Then also on ground was MTN, who gave ₦100,000 to each one of them and transferred to them ₦50,000 airtime,” she added.
Focus Shifts To Reintegration
While bringing the Nigerians home was the first step, Dabiri-Erewa said attention has now shifted toward helping them settle back into society.
She called on state governments to support their indigenes among the returnees by providing assistance that would help them restart their lives.
She praised Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma for supporting returnees from the state with financial assistance, urging other governors to follow the example.
“We call on state governors to do what Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State did. He gave one million naira to each Imo indigene among the returnees,” she said.
The NIDCOM chairman said the reintegration process would require cooperation between federal agencies, state governments, private organisations and communities.
As the returnees begin another chapter back home, the bigger conversation remains about the struggles Nigerians face abroad and how the country can create better opportunities for citizens so that migration becomes a choice rather than a survival strategy.