Nigeria Seeks Compensation for Citizens Who Abandoned Businesses in South Africa, Acting High Commissioner Says

Nigeria will formally engage the South African government to secure compensation for Nigerians who were forced to leave behind businesses, properties, and valuables amid the ongoing wave of anti-immigrant protests, Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Alexander Ajayi, has said.

Ajayi made the disclosure during a television broadcast as another batch of Nigerians prepared to arrive home under the Federal Government’s ongoing voluntary evacuation programme.

He clarified that those being repatriated chose to return home of their own accord ahead of the latest planned anti-immigrant protests.

The Acting High Commissioner said the Federal Government has begun documenting the assets and businesses abandoned by returnees as the foundation for a formal compensation pursuit.

He revealed that the process is already underway at a diplomatic level, disclosing that he met with South Africa’s Deputy Minister of Finance just days ago to begin laying the groundwork.

“In terms of the businesses, just three days ago, the South African Deputy Minister of Finance and I were together, and we were discussing this,” Ajayi said.

“I took up the discussion with her, and we have agreed that we are going to ask our people who are returning to begin to document what they are leaving behind, and that was the message before this set due to land.

“I have asked them to document very accurately those things they were leaving behind in terms of businesses, cars, and movable or immovable properties. We can now take it up with the South African government. That is the next step we are going to take,” he added.

Ajayi was emphatic that the government’s responsibility to its citizens does not end at the point of evacuation.

“This repatriation will not end with just taking people to Nigeria,” he said.

“We are going to systematically follow up on the information given to us, and I told them to be very accurate with what they are going to give because we are going to work with the South African government to get to the exact locations of all these businesses, shops and properties and present them to the South African government for possible compensation because we will not allow the labour people have suffered to build over the years to just go down the drain or be taken over by people,” he said.