Nigeria says only local airlines will now fly stranded citizens abroad back home

12 Mai 2020

Abuja, Nigeria,  May 12 (Infosplusgabon) – The Nigerian Federal Government on Monday bowed to pressure over its use of foreign airlines to evacuate stranded Nigerians abroad, saying that it would henceforth use four local airlines to bring the remaining stranded citizens back home.

Altogether, over 600 Nigerians stranded following the ban on routine international flights have been evacuated from Dubai, London and United States of America through foreign airlines including Ethiopian airlines, Emirates and British Airways.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffery Onyeama, told journalists that government is mindful of the need to use local carriers.

"Arrangements for Airlines for the first batch of flights were not done by government. Flights being arranged henceforth are all Nigerian carriers. We intend to use only Nigerian airlines henceforth,” he said.

While apologising for the mix-up with the transfer from Lagos to Abuja of the evacuees from the United Kingdom last Friday and the hitches faced when they arrived in Abuja, the Minister gave the assurance that mechanisms have been put in place to ensure it does not occur again.

Mr Onyeama said over 600 Nigerians have been evacuated from Dubai, London and United States of America.

He said that there are still many Nigerians abroad who desire to return home from China, India, France, Canada, Lebanon, Egypt and Sudan, among others.

FIN/ INFOSPLUSGABON/OLP/GABON2020

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