The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) has unveiled plans to provide psychosocial and economic reintegration support for Nigerians recently evacuated from South Africa.
The Commission disclosed this on Wednesday while receiving 305 returnees aboard the latest Federal Government-chartered Air Peace flight from South Africa.
According to the NCFRMI, the latest arrival brings the total number of Nigerians repatriated since June 11, 2026, to 1,485, with the 305 returnees representing the largest single group received since the exercise began.
Speaking during the reception, the Federal Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Dr. Tijani Aliyu Ahmed, represented by the Director of Migrants Affairs, Ambassador Catherine Udida, said the government’s intervention extends beyond evacuation to helping returnees rebuild their lives.
She explained that the Commission will begin engaging the returnees in phases to provide mental health and psychosocial support, conduct profiling and assess their individual needs before linking them to appropriate empowerment programmes.
According to her, the assessments will identify each returnee’s skills, family circumstances and livelihood needs to ensure they receive targeted support for sustainable reintegration.
Udida said eligible beneficiaries will be referred to relevant government agencies, including the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) for vocational training, entrepreneurship support, business development and employment opportunities.
She added that the reintegration programme will be implemented in phases in collaboration with government agencies, state governments, development partners, civil society organisations and the private sector.
The Commission reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring the safe return, dignity and successful social and economic reintegration of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa while commending all stakeholders involved in the evacuation and reception exercise.
