Evacuation of Nigerians abroad to begin on Wednesday
The Nigerian government will on Wednesday commence the evacuation of Nigerians abroad who are ready to return home following the out break of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chief Geoffrey Onyeama, gave the information on Monday during the Presidential Task Force briefing on COVID-19.
Chief Onyeama said the first set of returnees from the United States of America are to arrive the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Wednesday.
According to the Foreign Affairs Minister, almost 4000 Nigerians are to be evacuated from various parts of the world.
He added that 300 Nigerians will be returning from London via the British Airways on Saturday, while another set of evacuees will be returning from the United States on Monday next week.
Chief Geoffrey Onyeama also said that the government is discussing with a number of airlines notably the Scandinavian Airlines, British Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and Air Peace to facilitate the smooth evacuation of the returnees.
“We are also trying to see what we can do to evacuate Nigerians in China, South Africa, India and France,” he said.
The Minister equally informed that the government is considering subsidizing the airfares of the returnees adding that Nigerian embassies and consulates are enjoined to encourage them to negotiate with some airlines to help airlift them.
Chief Onyeama said that the government had secured 300 bed spaces in Lagos and almost 1000 in Abuja where the returnees will be quarantined to determine their health status before reuniting them with their families in Nigeria.
The Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister who stated that a lot of human and material resources are being put in place to ensure the smooth airlifted of the returnees added that his ministry is collaborating with the Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDC to determine the number of returnees they can handle at a time.
He assured that the returnees would be managed well to ensure their safety and those of Nigerians at home.
The Consul-General of Nigeria in New York, Benaoyagha Okoyen, said on Sunday that
no fewer than 700 Nigerians have registered with the missions for evacuation.
“Please note that over 700 Nigerian nationals have registered with our missions in the USA to be evacuated.
Missions will, therefore, attend to applicants on a first come, first served basis and shall prioritise the list of evacuees according to their immigration status.
This includes the need to consider those stranded with proof of short stay visas, the elderly, families with children and returning students,” he said.
The Nigerian envoy noted that
many Nigerians, who were on short-term visits to many countries across the world became stranded following the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
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