RCCG gives $265,854 to fly 500 Nigerians home from South Africa
The Federal Government announced on September 3, 2026 that the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), led by Pastor Enoch Adeboye, donated $265,854 to purchase 500 one‑way tickets for Nigerians stranded in South Africa due to renewed xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks. The disclosure came in a press release signed by Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Oluwafemi Adeniyi.
Philanthropic contributions had already funded the return of 255 Nigerians; this RCCG gift adds another 500, bringing private‑sector sponsored evacuations to 755. To date, 1,640 Nigerians have been brought home—1,385 fully covered by the Federal Government and the remainder through private aid—while 202 others await final clearance from South Africa’s Department of Home Affairs.
The evacuation effort began in June, with the first batch of 262 leaving Johannesburg on June 11 aboard an Air Peace flight. Ongoing tensions have strained Nigeria‑South Africa relations, with President Tinubu declining a meeting with a South African envoy in July and reports of visa restrictions, which the South African Consulate in Lagos denied.
Will you support similar humanitarian initiatives, advocate for stronger protection of Nigerians abroad, or rely on government channels for future evacuations?