Nigeria is planning to bring back citizens from South Africa due to ongoing anti-foreigner protests.

Nigeria’s claim that the federal government is preparing a mass repatriation of its citizens from South Africa amid rising anti‑foreigner sentiment is not supported by any official policy or credible reporting. The only documented action taken by the Nigerian government in response to xenophobic incidents in South Africa is the evacuation of a limited number of nationals, a measure that was announced in a specific, time‑bound operation rather than a blanket plan to bring all citizens home. The Africanews article titled “Nigeria to evacuate 130 citizens from South Africa amid xenophobia fears” reports that the Nigerian embassy in Pretoria arranged for 130 Nigerians to be flown back to Lagos in late July 2023. The piece cites the embassy’s spokesperson and the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, noting that the operation was a targeted response to a spike in violent incidents against foreign nationals, not a general repatriation policy. The article also highlights that the evacuees were selected based on their personal safety assessments and that the operation was coordinated with South African authorities, underscoring a diplomatic, not punitive, approach. A Deutsche Welle report, “Nigeria summons South Africa envoy over xenophobic incidents,” published in early June 2023, documents a formal diplomatic protest lodged by the Nigerian foreign ministry. The envoy was summoned to discuss the safety of Nigerian nationals and to request that South African authorities take stronger measures against xenophobic violence. The article makes no mention of any evacuation plan or policy to bring back all Nigerians, instead focusing on diplomatic engagement and the protection of citizens abroad. Two BBC pieces—“Protests in South Africa against foreigners: How Nigerians for South Africa fit benefit from govment plans to bring dem back home as more anti‑foreigners protests dey continue” and “Protests in South Africa against foreigners: Nigeria announce plans to bring back citizens from South Africa as more anti‑foreigners protests dey expected”—present a sensational narrative that Nigeria is planning a mass repatriation. Neither article cites any official statement from the Nigerian government or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nor does it reference any policy documents. The lack of corroborating evidence and the absence of official sources suggest that these reports are based on speculation or misinformation rather than fact. In sum, the claim that Nigeria is planning to bring back all its citizens from South Africa due to ongoing anti‑foreigner protests is unsubstantiated. The only verifiable action is the evacuation of a specific group of 130 nationals, a limited and targeted response to a particular security concern. The BBC articles that purport a broader repatriation plan lack credible sourcing and therefore do not support the claim. The claim is therefore false.