77 Enugu Families Get ₦1m Each After Returning From South Africa

ENUGU, NIGERIA — Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah has welcomed home 112 indigenes from 77 families who returned from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks, announcing a ₦77 million reintegration package to help them rebuild their lives.

The reception, held at the International Conference Centre, Enugu, marked the beginning of what the state government described as a broader reintegration programme for citizens forced to abandon their homes, businesses and investments abroad. Governor Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said every returning family would receive ₦1 million as seed funding.

He disclosed that the state is also profiling about 42 additional returnee families in collaboration with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), suggesting that further support may follow as more affected residents are identified.

Addressing the returnees, the governor condemned the renewed hostility against Black African migrants in parts of South Africa, describing the attacks as unacceptable and acknowledging the emotional and economic losses many families have suffered.

“While there is happiness in seeing you alive and safely back on Enugu soil, we also understand that coming home under circumstances you did not choose can carry its own pain,” Mbah said through the SSG.

Rather than treating the financial intervention as compensation, the governor emphasized that it was designed as the beginning of a new chapter.

“This is a seed, not the harvest,” he said. “It is not intended to replace everything you lost, but to move you from returning home to rebuilding at home.”

He encouraged the returnees not to see their return as a setback but as an opportunity to channel the skills, entrepreneurial experience, professional networks and knowledge they acquired in South Africa into Enugu’s growing economy. According to him, the state is expanding infrastructure, improving healthcare and education, and creating new opportunities in agriculture, technology, tourism, enterprise and industry to attract investment and create jobs.

The returnees responded with gratitude and cautious optimism. Speaking on behalf of the group, Chidimma Ogbonna thanked the governor for receiving them with dignity and extending practical support.

“Your kindness gave us hope. Thank you for welcoming us home and believing in us,” she said.

Another returnee, Cosmas Okwor, said the government’s gesture had restored confidence in their future.

“You have made us feel accepted. We are hopeful again,” he said.

Also addressing the gathering, the Chairman of the Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers, HRH Igwe Samuel Ikechukwu Asadu, urged the families to embrace the fresh opportunity before them and rebuild their lives with determination.

Earlier, the Governor’s Special Adviser on Diaspora, Barr. Olangwa Ezekwu, commended the Federal Government, particularly the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and NiDCOM Chairperson Abike Dabiri-Erewa, for facilitating the safe return of Nigerians affected by the attacks.

The latest intervention highlights the growing role of state governments in supporting Nigerians returning from crises abroad. Beyond the ₦77 million assistance, Enugu’s reintegration effort signals a broader commitment to transforming forced return into renewed opportunity, ensuring that citizens who come home after tragedy are not simply received, but given a meaningful chance to begin again.