The Federal Government has said it is working on administrative procedures and the release of funds to evacuate Nigerians affected by the ongoing crisis in parts of the Middle East.

The move follows rising tensions in the region triggered by missile and drone attacks linked to Iran, which have heightened security concerns across several Gulf countries.

The hostilities intensified after coordinated military strikes carried out by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nigeria, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed that preparations were underway.

He told journalists that the government was finalising the necessary administrative processes and funding arrangements before commencing evacuation.

“The government is working out the necessary administrative details and the release of funds to commence evacuation,” Ebienfa said.

Concerns had earlier been raised about the safety of Nigerians stranded in countries including Iran, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Qatar after regional hostilities disrupted flights and travel plans.

Officials said the evacuation of Nigerians from Iran presents complex logistical challenges.

According to the ministry, the process involves transporting stranded Nigerian students from various universities to the Armenian border while meeting entry conditions set by the Armenia.

The government is also exploring different evacuation options, including deploying aircraft belonging to the Nigerian Air Force, although the volatile security situation has made flight arrangements difficult.

Ebienfa also disclosed that many Nigerians stranded in Qatar were mainly transit passengers whose flights had been disrupted by the crisis.

He explained that most of them were being supported by their airlines and were gradually returning home.

“Qatar Airways has started operating flights to Nigeria. There was a flight to Lagos today (Monday) from Doha,” he said.

“So, in a few days, the category of Nigerians stranded due to transit flights that were affected by the crisis will all be in Nigeria.”

He added that some affected Nigerians had already travelled through flights to Cairo and Nairobi.

Meanwhile, the UAE Ministry of Defence confirmed that its air defence systems intercepted several missiles and drones launched from Iran.

The ministry said the defence systems engaged nine ballistic missiles and 33 drones on March 14 as part of a wave of attacks since the start of what it described as Iranian aggression.

Authorities confirmed that six people were killed and more than 140 others injured during the attacks, including residents and foreign workers from multiple countries.

Ebienfa confirmed that a Nigerian injured in the attacks had already received treatment.

“The Nigerian who was injured has been treated and discharged,” he said.

Officials said the casualties involved individuals from several countries, including Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan, Yemen, Uganda, Eritrea, Lebanon, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Comoros, Iraq, Nepal, Nigeria, Oman, Jordan, Palestine, Ghana, Indonesia and Sweden.

Iran Offers Support To Evacuate Nigerians
The Iran government has expressed willingness to assist Nigerian authorities in facilitating the safe departure of Nigerians who may wish to leave the country.

The Iranian Ambassador to Nigeria, Gholamreza Raja, said Tehran remained committed to protecting foreign nationals, including Nigerians living in the country.

He said the Embassy of Nigeria Tehran had already begun assisting Nigerians and remained in contact with members of the Nigerian community.

“The Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to cooperate in facilitating the departure of Nigerian nationals if they wish to leave the country,” Raja said.

The ambassador noted that Iran’s land borders with neighbouring countries remained open and were already being used by foreign nationals to exit the country.

According to Raja, several hundred Nigerians currently reside in Iran, many of them students studying in universities under scholarship programmes.

Others are engaged in small-scale commercial activities.

He explained that the exact number of Nigerians in Iran remains uncertain because not all citizens formally register with the Nigerian embassy.

Emirates Suspends Flights To Dubai
Meanwhile, Emirates Airline has again announced the temporary suspension of all flights to and from Dubai International Airport.

The airline advised passengers not to travel to the airport until further notice as authorities continue to assess the security situation.

The suspension followed guidance from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, which grounded flights amid rising regional tensions.

“Customers are reminded not to travel to the airport at this time and to continue checking this page for the latest updates,” the airline said.

The disruption has created uncertainty for thousands of travellers who rely on Dubai as a major transit hub, including many Nigerians travelling to international destinations.

Several conferences, business meetings and tourism activities linked to travel to Dubai have also been affected, with some events cancelled or relocated to other destinations.

Travel agents said many Nigerian passengers who purchased tickets earlier were still awaiting refunds or new travel arrangements following the prolonged disruption.