NIHOTOUR Launches Welcome Home Programme at Lagos airport to support Nigerian returnees with accommodation, training and business assistance

The Nigerian Institute of Hospitality and Tourism has launched the Welcome Home pilot programme at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, introducing a comprehensive support system for Nigerians returning from South Africa following recent emergency repatriation flights.

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The initiative, unveiled at the country’s busiest international gateway, is designed to provide immediate assistance to hundreds of Nigerians who returned home after a June 30, 2026, deadline issued by anti-migrant groups in South Africa prompted emergency evacuations.

Rather than issuing a conventional institutional response, NIHOTOUR partnered with creative agency X3M Ideas to establish a physical reception and reintegration system that begins the moment returnees arrive at the airport.

Speaking at the launch, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NIHOTOUR, Aare (Dr.) Abisoye Fagade, said the programme reflects the Federal Government’s commitment to restoring dignity and creating opportunities for Nigerians returning home.

“They said go home. We say welcome home,” Fagade said.

“That message, lit up at the gateway to Lagos for every Nigerian returning from South Africa, is more than a billboard.

It is NIHOTOUR living out the Renewed Hope Agenda. From the gateway to the arrival hall at MMIA, we are meeting our citizens with dignity, not just sympathy.”

At the heart of the initiative is a specially branded Welcome Corridor that guides returnees through a dedicated arrival pathway before connecting them with immediate support services.

Each beneficiary receives a Returnee Card, which provides a complimentary first night’s accommodation at participating hotels, transport assistance from the airport and fast-tracked support for business registration.

The programme also aligns with the Federal Government’s emphasis on human capital development by offering beneficiaries free professional training, industry certification and employment opportunities within Nigeria’s hospitality and tourism sector.

“This is renewed hope in action,” Fagade said.

“We are turning a difficult moment into a real opportunity, right here at home, for Nigerians, by Nigerians.”

To further encourage economic reintegration, NIHOTOUR has established a Restart Desk to connect entrepreneurs and skilled workers with employment referrals, business support services and registration opportunities.

Another distinctive feature of the initiative is a Homecoming Counter, which will publicly track the number of Nigerians received through the programme, businesses supported and employment opportunities facilitated during the pilot phase.

Steve Babaeko, Group Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer of X3M Ideas, said the project was conceived as a practical expression of hospitality rather than a publicity campaign.

“This wasn’t built as a campaign about a crisis,” Babaeko said.

“It was a hospitality agency deciding what it owes its own citizens, the moment they land.”

The pilot programme follows reports of heightened tensions involving foreign nationals in parts of South Africa, where periodic outbreaks of anti-immigrant sentiment have, over the years, affected migrants from several African countries, including Nigeria.

Previous incidents have prompted diplomatic engagement between Abuja and Pretoria, as well as organised evacuations of Nigerians seeking to return home.

Nigeria and South Africa maintain significant diplomatic and economic ties despite recurring tensions arising from xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals.

Successive Nigerian governments have continued to advocate stronger protections for citizens living abroad while expanding programmes aimed at supporting voluntary returnees.

Following the pilot rollout at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, NIHOTOUR said it will assess the programme’s impact before extending the Welcome Home initiative to other international airports across the country.

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The expansion, the institute said, is expected to strengthen reintegration support for returning Nigerians while promoting employment, entrepreneurship and growth within the hospitality and tourism industry.