The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has assured Nigerians stranded in the Middle East that evacuation efforts will begin as soon as it becomes safe for flights to operate in the region.

 

Dabiri-Erewa gave the assurance while responding to a Nigerian on X who appealed for evacuation assistance from Qatar amid the rising tensions between Israel and Iran.

 

According to her, the Federal Government will commence evacuation operations once the airspace becomes safe for aircraft movement.

 

“Once the airspace is safe to fly, you will be evacuated,” she assured.

 

Earlier, the NiDCOM chairman disclosed that Nigerians willing to leave Iran were already being escorted by Nigerian embassy officials across the Armenia border as part of efforts to move them to safer locations.

 

She also stated that no Nigerian in Iran has so far been reported injured or directly affected by the ongoing hostilities.

 

The evacuation plans come as tensions in the region intensified following a series of joint airstrikes by the United States and Israel on February 28, 2026. The strikes reportedly led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, triggering retaliatory missile and drone attacks across the region.

 

Although the Nigerian population in Iran is relatively small—mostly students and traders—the government has faced increasing pressure to ensure their safe evacuation as the security situation worsens.

 

The crisis has also led to intermittent closures of regional airspace, including in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, leaving hundreds of Nigerian travellers stranded.

 

In a statement, Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government is closely monitoring developments and remains committed to protecting its citizens abroad.

 

“The Federal Government is monitoring the situation and will take all necessary steps to ensure no Nigerian life is endangered,” the ministry said.