Buhari approves N3.54 billion to evacuate Nigerians stranded in Ukraine

President Muhammadu Buhari has approved $8.5 million equivalent to N3.535 billion to the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Humanitarian, Disaster Management, and Social Development, for the immediate evacuation of over 5,000 (registered and unregistered) Nigerians stranded in Ukraine.

These Nigerians slated for evacuation are stranded as a result of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

Business Metrics reported earlier that the President had ordered two airlines, Max Air and Air Piece, to commence the evacuation on Wednesday March 2, 2002. While Max Air has commenced the exercise, Air Piece is preparing to fall in line.

According to a tweet post by Personal Assistant to the President on Digital and New Media, Bashir Ahmad, on his official Twitter account, this was made known by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Zubairu Dada, on Wednesday in Abuja.

Some Nigerian students stranded in Ukraine

Dada, while speaking to State House correspondents after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said that 3 aircrafts to be provided by Air Peace and Max Air, would be dispatched to 4 countries.

The minister said that the countries where the pickup flights would be headed include – Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania.

Two flights from Air Peace and one from Max Air are expected to carry out the evacuation exercise.

Mr Dada said all agencies are fully resourced to ensure that aircraft leave on Wednesday to begin the evacuation. They noted that the flights will embark on a number of shifts until the process is complete.

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Having built up a large military presence on the border from late 2021, Russia launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. This has led many casualties and more than 8,000 Nigerians living in Ukraine were trapped in the war.

However, latest reports show that about 2,000 of these Nigerians have managed to escape to neighbouring countries as refugees while the remaining 6,000 Nigerians are still fighting to escape the danger zone.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, earlier disclosed in an interview on a Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, said there were about 8,000 Nigerians in Ukraine, 5,000 of whom were students.