On Nigeria’s Democracy Day, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Dr. Bernard Doro, calls for public and institutional support to reintegrate 258 Nigerians recently returned from South Africa. The returnees arrive at Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed International Airport on a chartered Air Peace flight. Doro says the federal government provides initial reception, including profiling, health screening, and documentation, but that long-term reintegration requires wider assistance from the private sector, development and philanthropic organizations, state governments, and citizens.
He adds that the returnees face disruptions to their livelihoods and may need both emotional and economic support. The minister states that reintegration efforts will include humanitarian assistance and empowerment programmes aimed at helping beneficiaries regain stability and opportunities.
Doro links the call to the country’s democratic values, saying democracy is reflected not only in institutions and elections but also in how society treats vulnerable citizens. He also credits President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda for prioritizing citizens’ welfare and highlights the involvement of agencies including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and others involved in reception and travel coordination.
