KEY POINTS

• Nigeria evacuated 1,230 stranded citizens from Niger in two batches, with 708 arriving on March 23 and 522 on March 29, 2026
• The IOM provided logistical and technical support, while a multi-agency team received and processed returnees in Kano
• Returnees received temporary accommodation, meals and medical care before reuniting with their families

Nigeria’s Federal Government brought home 1,230 stranded citizens from Niger in March 2026, completing its Niger evacuation in two separate airlifts as political instability and security concerns continued to grip the neighboring country.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement by spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the first batch of 708 returnees landed in Kano on March 23, with another 522 following on March 29. The International Organization for Migration provided logistical and technical support throughout, keeping the operation smooth and orderly.

Multi-agency team receives returnees in Kano

A broad coalition of government agencies met the evacuees on arrival. Officials from the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, NEMA, the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services and the International Committee of the Red Cross all participated.

Kano and Katsina state government officials also joined the reception effort.

After airport profiling, authorities transported the returnees to the Immigration Training School in Kano, where staff provided temporary accommodation, meals, sanitary supplies and basic medical care before discharging them to their families.

Partners praised as ministry urges citizen registration

Moreover, the ministry credited the Republic of Niger’s cooperation as a sign of strong bilateral ties and a shared commitment to humanitarian principles. It also commended the IOM and the Red Cross for their roles in the Nigeria Niger evacuation, noting that such partnerships are vital to managing migration crises.

“This evacuation exercise is part of the Federal Government’s broader responsibility to safeguard Nigerians wherever they may be,” the ministry said, adding that it would keep monitoring developments in the region.

The ministry urged Nigerians living abroad to remain law-abiding, maintain regular contact with Nigerian diplomatic missions and register with the nearest embassy or consulate for timely support in emergencies.