Ghana offers free evacuation of citizens from South Africa after FG said Nigerians must pay to return home.

• Ghana has offered free evacuation flights for its citizens returning from South Africa.

• Nigeria earlier planned an evacuation but later asked interested citizens to pay flight costs.

• The development has drawn attention to the differing approaches adopted by both countries.

• Concerns over the welfare of African migrants in South Africa continue to persist.

The government of Ghana has commenced free evacuation arrangements for its citizens willing to return from South Africa, while Nigerians seeking similar evacuation have been asked to cover the cost of their flights.

The development follows earlier reports that the Nigerian government was considering evacuation plans for citizens living in South Africa amid growing concerns affecting some foreign nationals in the country.

However, Nigerian authorities later stated that citizens interested in returning home would be required to pay for their flight tickets before evacuation arrangements could proceed.

Ghana, on the other hand, reportedly moved ahead with government-backed evacuation support for its nationals without placing the financial burden on affected citizens.

The contrasting approaches by both West African countries have drawn attention online, particularly as many African governments continue to face questions over citizen welfare and emergency response abroad.

South Africa hosts one of the largest populations of African migrants on the continent, including thousands of Nigerians and Ghanaians who live, study, and work in the country.

In recent years, concerns over the safety of foreign nationals have occasionally resurfaced following incidents linked to xenophobic tensions and anti-immigrant sentiments in parts of South Africa.

Nigeria has previously organised evacuation operations for citizens stranded abroad during emergencies, including during the COVID-19 pandemic and periods of conflict in countries such as Sudan and Ukraine.

However, the latest arrangement requiring citizens to personally fund their return flights marks a shift from fully government-sponsored evacuation exercises carried out in some previous cases.

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Meanwhile, Ghana’s decision to provide free evacuation assistance is being viewed as a significant relief for affected citizens seeking to return home without additional financial stress.

Authorities in both countries are yet to announce how many citizens have registered for evacuation or the timeline for the completion of the exercise.