NIDCOM to work closely with Diaspora groups to evacuate Nigerians

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) said on Tuesday that it would collaborate with Diaspora groups and missions abroad to evacuate many citizens back home.

Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday.

Dabiri-Erewa said that the evacuees would comprise people who travelled out on business trips and others who went abroad on courses and for other programmes, among other things.

She disclosed that the commission had received more than 2,000 responses from Nigerian missions in nearly 75 countries across the world.

“NIDCOM is working with Diaspora groups and missions, and the exercise is being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and I am consulting with the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 to fast-track the evacuation.

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“People that will be evacuated are mainly Nigerians who travelled for one reason or the other and got caught up in the closure of airspace and borders.

“Some are not really Nigerians living abroad.Yes, we have Nigerians registering to come back home.

“The deadline for those willing to return to Nigeria will be the responsibility of the Minister of Foreign Affairs,” she said.

She added that the evacuees would come largely, from the UK, US, China, and the United Arab Emirates.