The Federal Government has announced that it is finalizing arrangements with two local airlines to commence evacuation of Nigerians from the United Kingdom (UK) and other parts of the world following the COVID-19 pandemic.
A statement issued by the Nigerian High Commission in London said that in order to achieve this, all prospective evacuees are expected to be guided by new procedures.
It said the evacuations will be done in batches, noting that a new date will be communicated in due course.
The government in the statement insisted that there will be a 14-day mandatory quarantine for all evacuees upon arrival in Nigeria in the facility provided by the Nigerian Center for Disease Control (NCDC), in Abuja and Lagos.
“All evacuees shall be tested for COVID-19 upon arrival in Nigeria and all evacuees are expected to pay for the 14-day quarantine/isolation/ accommodation before departure of flights to Nigeria.
“All travellers are expected to observe and acquaint themselves with appropriate universal health guidelines for good hygiene,” the statement said.
The High Commission noted that further guidelines and protocols will be communicated in due course.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, told reporters on Friday that the number of Nigerians willing to be evacuated from different parts of the world is high, adding that Nigeria’s foreign missions have been mandated to coordinate the evacuation.