COVID-19: We are being strained, says FG on evacuation of stranded Nigerians

The federal government says it is reaching saturation point regarding the evacuation of Nigerians stranded abroad over the coronavirus pandemic.

Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, who said this at the presidential task force on COVID-19 briefing on Monday, said the country is being strained by the process.

Out of the 4,000 Nigerians abroad willing to return because of the health crisis, only about 700 have been brought back.

Those who returned — from the United Kingdom, United States and United Arab Emirates — are currently staying in hotels in Lagos and Abuja, at their own expense.

Onyeama, however, said the federal government hopes to bring back some of the others yet to return “in an adequate time.”

“As I understand from our medical people, saturation point; the maximum we can really cope with and be able to deliver adequately and professionally the services and the care we are supposed to,” he said.

“So, this will mean we will be staggering our flight in evacuating Nigerians and making sure we deal with the ones we have in place before bringing back others.

“We hope that in an adequate period of time, we will be able to bring back some of the others out there. And there are many still out there, in China, India, Canada, South Africa, Sudan, France, Lebanon, Egypt and all these really calls into question our capacity to absolve such large numbers.

“And clearly, our system is being strained, so we really have to take things easier and also ensure we can deliver optimally as we are supposed to.”

He also said the federal government plans to use only Nigerian carriers in evacuating citizens abroad.