The Federal Government has begun moves to seek compensation from the South African government for businesses and properties abandoned by Nigerians returning home amid renewed anti-immigrant tensions in the country.
Alexander Ajayi, Nigeria’s Acting High Commissioner to South Africa, disclosed this while speaking on Channels Television, saying the government would ensure that Nigerians forced to leave their investments behind are not left to bear the losses alone.
Ajayi said the compensation effort would follow the ongoing voluntary repatriation of Nigerians who chose to return home ahead of the June 30 deadline issued by some South African rights groups calling on undocumented migrants to leave the country.
According to him, the government has started documenting businesses and other assets left behind by returnees as part of plans to formally engage the South African authorities.
“In terms of the businesses, just three days ago, myself and the South African deputy minister of foreign affairs were together, and we were discussing this,” Ajayi said.
