The Federal Government has assured Nigerians stranded in parts of the Middle East that evacuation efforts will begin once the region’s airspace becomes safe for flights.
The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, gave the assurance while responding to a Nigerian on X who appealed for evacuation assistance from Qatar amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
The X user, identified as @ToluOmoADEYEMO, said Nigerians in Qatar had already registered with the Nigerian Embassy in Doha and were awaiting further instructions on evacuation.
Responding, Dabiri-Erewa said the government would commence evacuation once it is safe for aircraft to operate in the region.
“Once the airspace is safe to fly you will be evacuated,” she said.
Earlier, Dabiri-Erewa disclosed that Nigerian officials were already assisting citizens willing to leave Iran by escorting them across the Armenian border.
According to her, officials of the Nigerian Embassy in Iran are coordinating the safe passage of Nigerians leaving the country because of the ongoing conflict.
“Willing Nigerians are being escorted across the Armenian border by officials of the Nigerian embassy in Iran for safe passage. No Nigerian in Iran has been affected by the war as officials remain at the border to receive all who want to leave,” she wrote on X.
The evacuation plan comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East following the ongoing war between Israel and Iran, which has raised security concerns and disrupted air travel across the region.
Several countries have begun evacuating their citizens from affected areas as the conflict intensifies.
The conflict, which began on February 28, 2026, followed joint US-Israeli airstrikes, codenamed Operation Epic Fury, targeting Iranian military infrastructure and senior officials.
The strikes reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, triggering retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Iran across the region.
Although the Nigerian community in Iran is relatively small—estimated between 500 and 1,500 people, mostly students and traders—the government has faced growing pressure to provide clear evacuation routes as airspaces in parts of the Middle East, including Qatar and the UAE, face intermittent closures.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government was closely monitoring the situation and would take necessary steps to ensure the safety of Nigerians.
The conflict has also disrupted global travel, with major transit hubs such as Dubai International Airport affected.
Hundreds of Nigerians travelling through Middle Eastern routes are reportedly stranded due to widespread flight cancellations.
