Assist returnees from South Africa to reintegrate into the society, the Executive Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NIDCOM, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has appealed.
Her appeal was directed at state governments.
This is as she announced that no fewer than 319 more Nigerians in South Africa would return to Nigerian on Tuesday.
Dabiri-Erewa who spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, said the returning of Nigerians in South Africa would be a continuous process.
Her words: “We expect the state governments to take responsibility for their citizens that have returned.
“We have the contacts of the returnees which would be communicated to their respective states.
“The returnees are not criminals but very hardworking Nigerians, who have lost everything they ever worked for in South Africa.
“Their only crime is being black and Nigerian.”
She spoke on what the government has done so far to help those brought back home.
“Each returnee got a SIM card and airtime to last two months and some money for transportation.
“The Bank of Industry has the contacts of these returnees and would contact them for soft loans.
“As returnees settle in, we are going to profile them and do a need assessment for them,” she said.
While thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for the directive to return willing Nigerians back home, Dabiri-Erewa also thanked organisations like Air Peace, MTN, Airtel and others for the support enjoyed by the returnees.
She called on other corporate bodies to join in helping the returnees, saying they needed all the love and support they could get.
