The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) has donated $265,854 to support the return of 500 distressed Nigerians from South Africa following renewed concerns over xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against foreign nationals.
The donation, made under the leadership of Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, will be used to purchase 500 one-way air tickets for Nigerians who want to leave South Africa and return home.
The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the development in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Oluwafemi Adeniyi, on Friday, September 4, 2026, while expressing appreciation to the church for the intervention.
The ministry described the contribution as an important demonstration of compassion and solidarity with Nigerians facing difficult circumstances in South Africa.
According to the government, the RCCG intervention also shows how faith-based organisations and public institutions can work together to respond to humanitarian situations affecting Nigerians outside the country.
The Federal Government began the ongoing evacuation exercise on June 10, 2026, following a fresh wave of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
So far, 1,640 Nigerians have been brought back to Nigeria, with the government financing the return of 1,385 people, while philanthropic contributions have supported the evacuation of another 255 Nigerians.
The ministry disclosed that 202 Nigerians are currently awaiting final screening by South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs before they can be evacuated.
Nigeria’s High Commission in Pretoria and Consulate General in Johannesburg are continuing to work with Nigerian community associations and other established groups to identify citizens who want to return because of the security situation.
The Federal Government said it is also maintaining diplomatic engagement with South African authorities in an effort to address recurring cases of xenophobia and Afrophobia affecting Nigerians and other Africans.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had also raised concerns over the attacks during the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union, held on August 30, 2026, in Luanda, Angola.
The government said the President called for urgent collective attention to the recurring attacks and stressed the need to protect the welfare of Nigerians living in the diaspora.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs further welcomed similar interventions from private organisations, philanthropists, faith-based groups and development partners, saying such partnerships could provide meaningful assistance to Nigerians facing difficulties abroad.
The RCCG donation will be deployed in collaboration with the church’s leadership in South Africa to facilitate the purchase of the 500 tickets and assist the affected Nigerians in returning safely to Nigeria.
The development has placed the church’s intervention alongside the government’s wider efforts to protect Nigerians abroad and provide a route home for citizens who no longer feel safe remaining in South Africa.