BY JOHN ODHE
Hundreds of Nigerians evacuated from South Africa have arrived in Lagos while many others are on their ways back home to start new lives following recent wave of anti-migrant violence in that country.
Fleeing dangerous tensions, many returned with only a few possessions, some leaving with just the traveler’s bags in their hands. The returnees now face the tough challenge of rebuilding their lives from the scratch back home.
This is obviously not what they planned for while building business empires in far away South Africa many years ago but xenophobia has forced them to accept bitter realities that look like dreams.
To help these citizens settle, the Nigerian government has stepped in with immediate relief and relocation plans.
Agencies like the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) are profiling returnees.
They are also providing mental health counseling to help them overcome trauma. State officials are also pitching in, with the Imo State government giving returnees financial support of ₦1 million each.
How far will these intervention go in regaining shattered dreams and sources of livelihoods? Even if the federal and state governments decide to render meaningful, life-changing help, will the targeted persons get what is due them? Will the Nigerian opportunists not hijack the fortunes?
Long-term empowerment will require job training and business startup funds. Again, will the funds get to the real returnees. Would there not be artificial returnees to whose accounts the funds may be lodged?
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the government to use the valuable skills returnees already have.
By offering grants, low-interest loans, and skills training, the government can help returnees launch new businesses in Nigeria. This will turn their difficult journey into a chance for success. This also can only be achieved if the project is strictly monitored.
The government is also taking diplomatic steps to protect its people. Nigerian officials have begun documenting the properties and businesses abandoned by citizens in South Africa. This is commendable so that the wicked South Africans may not gather where they did not scatter.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actively using these records to push for compensation from South African authorities. This ensures that the returnees do not lose the wealth and investments they spent years building.
In all of these, no thanks to xenophobia in South Africa
