The Federal government has kick-started plans to bring back home more than 1,000 Nigerians from South Africa as concerns grow over rising anti-immigrant sentiments and renewed xenophobic tensions in the southern African nation.

According to reports, Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Friday that screening for a voluntary repatriation programme began on Thursday, with authorities expecting over 1,000 Nigerians to participate.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa told AFP that the final number of those seeking to return home had not yet been determined but noted that the figure was expected to exceed 1,000.

“Total figure not out yet,” he said. “We are expecting over 1,000 persons.”

The move follows a similar action by Ghana, which recently repatriated hundreds of its nationals from South Africa amid increasing fears over protests and violence directed at foreign nationals.

In a statement dated Tuesday, Nigeria’s High Commission in Pretoria said it had “negotiated waivers with host authorities” so that those with “immigration-related offences” would be allowed to leave on the eventual repatriation flights rather than be detained.

South Africa, until recently the continent’s most industrialised economy, has long attracted workers from across the region.

But saddled with an unemployment rate of over 30 per cent, it has seen repeated spurts of xenophobic protests — including renewed violence in recent weeks.

The latest tensions have revived uncomfortable debates across Africa about xenophobia, migration and the gap between pan-African rhetoric and realities facing migration on the continent.

An ultimatum by one citizen-led group for illegal migrants to be expelled by June 30 has raised fears of violence after bouts of anti-immigrant unrest in the past that claimed dozens of lives.

Last month, Ghana repatriated some 300 people, the first batch of what authorities said was expected to be a total of about 800 Ghanaian nationals.

The South African government has said it is stepping up enforcement against undocumented immigrants but urged citizens not to take matters into their own hands.

There are more than three million foreigners living in South Africa, or 5.1 per cent of the population, according to the statistics agency.

More than 63 per cent come from countries in the 16-member Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc.

The 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) got off to a dark start on Thursday across several centres in Oyo, Lagos, Ogun and Osun states.

Due to the late arrival of examination materials, several candidates were forced to sit for papers late into the evening.

On Monday, candidates reportedly waited several hours before writing the Physics Essay and Objective papers, which were scheduled for 2pm and 3:30pm respectively.

The delays persisted on Wednesday, with the General Mathematics Objective paper starting at 6:30pm in some centres and as late as 8:30pm in others, leaving candidates to finish the examination after 10pm.

The situation was said to be particularly severe in some centres in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.

The first batch of the Agricultural Science practical examination was slated for 2pm, while the second batch was scheduled for 3:30pm.

However, as of 8pm, some centres in the state had yet to commence the examination.

Due to the delay, candidates reportedly sat the examination under poor lighting conditions.

In a viral video, several students could be seen writing the examination with torchlights, mobile phone flashlights and solar-powered lamps.

The incident has since triggered widespread outrage on social media.

Mariam Kehinde, an X user, said that as of past 8pm on Thursday, her sister was yet to return home from the examination centre.

“What exactly is happening in this country sef? My sister left for her WAEC exam since morning and still hadn’t returned home,” she wrote.

“She called around 6pm saying their exam paper had just arrived at that time nitori olorun. She was still at the exam centre, and my mum even had to wait.”

Adedeji Adeyinka, another user, described Thursday’s conduct of the examination as “particularly disturbing”.

“Candidates writing Government completed the Theory paper and were instructed to wait for the Objective paper, only for the question paper to arrive more than FOUR HOURS later,” he posted.

“How is this acceptable in a national examination? Even more shocking was the situation faced by students writing Agricultural Science Practical. An examination scheduled for 2:00 p.m. did not commence until about 9:00 p.m. in many parts of Oyo State.

“A seven-hour delay is not a minor inconvenience. It is a systemic failure.”

Another X user identified as Mum Ire also lamented the shortage of question papers during Wednesday’s Mathematics examination.

“Out of 75 candidates, only 35 Mathematics question papers were brought to the examination centre for the entire exam yesterday,” she wrote on Thursday.

“When did WAEC start operating like this?

“Now we are being told that the Agriculture Science practical questions are on the way at 8:10 pm.”

Joel Abodunrin also decried the shortage of question papers.

“WAEC’s been doing well until today,” he wrote on Wednesday.

“An examination hall of about 250 candidates and having Mathematics question papers for only 120.

“Getting to tear the questions into pieces so that all could have something to do.”

Hakeem Olaoye, another user, said candidates were being made to write examinations at unreasonable hours.

“WAEC exam being conducted late in the evening.

“The Agric practical exam that was supposed to be held by 2pm just commenced some minutes after 7pm,” he wrote.

“Very disheartening indeed. Likewise for Mathematics. A school with 130 students was given 16 question booklets to share among.”

The development has raised concerns about the safety of candidates amid the country’s growing security challenges.

Ahead of the 2027 governorship election, Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos State deputy governor and governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, has appointed former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, as the Director-General of his campaign organisation.

The appointment is widely viewed as a strategic move to strengthen Hamzat’s political structure as preparations for the governorship contest gather momentum. 

Obanikoro, a seasoned politician with extensive experience in Lagos politics and governance, is expected to coordinate campaign activities, stakeholder engagement, grassroots mobilisation, and strategic outreach across the state’s 20 local government areas and 37 local council development areas.

Many political analysts view the choice of Obanikoro as a reflection of Hamzat’s determination to build a formidable political machinery capable of galvanising support across different demographic and political blocs in Lagos. Obanikoro’s long-standing involvement in Lagos politics, coupled with his network across party lines, is expected to enhance the campaign’s reach and effectiveness.

The development comes amid increasing political realignments within the Lagos chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), where Hamzat has continued to receive support from influential party leaders, youth groups, professional associations, and grassroots stakeholders ahead of the 2027 election cycle.

Observers note that the race to succeed incumbent Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is gradually taking shape, with consultations and alliance-building already underway among key political actors. Hamzat, who has served as deputy governor since 2019, is widely regarded as one of the leading contenders for the state’s highest office, drawing on his experience in public service, technology, governance, and policy development.

Sources close to the campaign say the newly constituted organisation will focus on articulating Hamzat’s vision for Lagos, expanding engagement with community leaders, market associations, youth and women groups, professionals, and party faithful, while also consolidating support within the APC structure.

Political observers say the appointment of Obanikoro signals Hamzat’s intention to run a broad-based and inclusive campaign that leverages both grassroots mobilisation and strategic stakeholder engagement. They argue that the move could further strengthen his position within the APC as the contest for the party’s governorship ticket gathers momentum.

With less than a year to the commencement of major party activities ahead of the 2027 elections, attention is expected to remain focused on emerging alliances, endorsements, and political calculations that will shape the future leadership of Nigeria’s commercial capital.