FRI JULY 31 2026-theGBJournal| Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori will on Friday receive residents forced to flee South Africa after recent xenophobic attacks, becoming the first Nigerian state governor to publicly announce a dedicated support package for citizens returning after abandoning their jobs, businesses and families to escape the violence.
The reception, scheduled for noon at the Unity Hall of the Old Government House in Asaba, marks the state’s response to the repatriation of affected Nigerians, many of whom returned with little more than their personal belongings after the attacks disrupted their livelihoods abroad.
The support package is aimed at helping the returnees meet immediate needs and begin rebuilding their lives, while underscoring the Delta State government’s commitment to the welfare of its citizens regardless of where they reside.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Festus Ahon, said the event forms part of the government’s relief efforts for Deltans displaced by the violence in South Africa.
Invited guests are expected to be seated by 11:30 a.m.
The reception comes amid renewed concerns over the safety of Nigerian migrants in South Africa, where periodic outbreaks of xenophobic violence have repeatedly forced some foreign nationals to return home under government-assisted and voluntary repatriation arrangements.
Delta is the first state government to publicly roll out a targeted support programme for returnees from the latest wave of attacks, highlighting growing efforts to complement federal assistance with state-level reintegration measures.
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