The Federal Government of Nigeria has commenced the evacuation of its citizens stranded in Iran, using the land border between Iran and Armenia as the primary escape route amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, confirmed the development, announcing that Nigerian Embassy officials in Tehran are personally escorting willing citizens across the Armenian border to safety. The evacuation marks a significant step forward after days of mounting pressure from stranded Nigerians and their families who had accused the government of inaction.
The development was reported by Vanguard, Legit.ng, and The Armenian Report, all citing official statements from Dabiri-Erewa and Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
How the Evacuation Is Being Carried Out
According to Dabiri-Erewa, officials from the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran are directly coordinating and escorting Nigerians who wish to leave Iran across the land border into Armenia. The border crossing being used is the Agarak/Norduz crossing — the same route that multiple other countries have also been using to evacuate their nationals since commercial flights out of Iran were suspended following the outbreak of hostilities.
"The willing Nigerians in Iran are being safely escorted across the Armenia border by officials from the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran, ensuring smooth and secure passage for those wishing to leave," Dabiri-Erewa confirmed in her official statement.
She also reassured Nigerians that no Nigerian national in Iran has been harmed or killed in the conflict so far — a statement that will bring relief to many families across Nigeria who have been anxiously monitoring the situation since the war escalated.
The evacuation is being conducted in full coordination with Armenian authorities, who have been working with multiple countries to facilitate the safe passage of foreign nationals through their territory. Once evacuees cross into Armenia, they can access commercial flights from Yerevan to other destinations, including Nigeria.
Why Armenia Is the Evacuation Route
The choice of Armenia as the evacuation corridor is not accidental — it is the only practical land route currently available for people leaving Iran. Since the conflict began on February 28, 2026, all commercial flights out of Iran have been suspended due to airspace closures and security concerns. Direct air evacuation is therefore not possible.
The land border between Iran and Armenia at Agarak/Norduz remains open and has been confirmed by multiple governments as the safest available exit route from Iran. Commercial flights are currently operating normally from Yerevan, Armenia's capital, making it a critical transit hub for people fleeing the conflict zone.
Armenia itself has been operating its embassy in Tehran in emergency mode, receiving calls from dozens of foreign nationals every day seeking assistance with border crossings. The Armenian government confirmed that it has provided similar support to many other countries whose citizens are trying to leave Iran, describing it as an act of international humanitarian solidarity.
Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had earlier announced that it was working with Armenia to secure formal passage for nearly 1,000 stranded Nigerians. Buses had reportedly been booked from Tehran to Yerevan, with the government waiting for Armenian authorities to confirm clearance before the convoy could move.
The Long Wait — Nigerians Stranded Amid Missiles and Fear
For many Nigerians trapped in Iran, the past several days have been a harrowing experience of fear, uncertainty, and frustration. Since the outbreak of the conflict on February 28, hundreds of Nigerians living and working in Iran have found themselves unable to leave, with flights grounded and borders uncertain.
Several Nigerians in Iran took to social media to express their distress, describing the experience of living under missile alerts and constant fear while waiting for their government to act. Some accused the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran of being slow to respond, claiming that officials were difficult to reach in the early days of the conflict.
The government pushed back against these accusations. Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement categorically denying that the Embassy in Tehran had shut down, clarifying that while regular office activities had been disrupted by ongoing bombings in the city, staff were continuing to work remotely and were actively coordinating the evacuation process.
The Ministry also acknowledged the difficulty of the situation and expressed deep appreciation to Armenia for its cooperation, describing the gesture as reflecting the strength of international solidarity and humanitarian cooperation during times of crisis.
Nigeria's Broader Evacuation Efforts
Beyond Iran, Nigeria has also been working to assist its citizens stranded in Israel, where the conflict has equally disrupted normal life. Nigerians living in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem have reported similar difficulties — businesses shut down, air raid sirens going off regularly, and a general atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.
One Nigerian identified as Ekene Abaka, writing from Tel Aviv, described sheltering in an Israeli bomb shelter as missiles rained down. Others spoke of losing income as businesses across Israel shut their doors indefinitely.
Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar confirmed that efforts were ongoing to assist Nigerians in both countries, noting that the government was monitoring the situation closely and working with international partners to ensure the safe return of all willing citizens.
The Ministry confirmed that updated passenger lists had been submitted to Iran's foreign ministry to help smooth border formalities for the evacuees, and that flight arrangements from Yerevan to Abuja were being coordinated in parallel.
WetIn the Evacuation Mean for Nigerians Inside Iran
For Nigerians wey don dey inside Iran since the war start, the news of evacuation na serious relief. Many of them don dey anxious for days, watching news of missiles and airstrikes while waiting for their government to act.
Some of them don already call family members for Nigeria saying dem dey fine but dem need to leave as soon as possible. The combination of suspended flights and border uncertainty don make the past few days very difficult for many of these citizens.
Now that embassy officials don begin to escort people across the Armenian border personally, many Nigerians feel more confident that they go soon reach safety. The fact say no Nigerian casualty don happen inside Iran so far na another thing wey many families dey grateful for.
But the experience don raise serious questions about how Nigeria dey prepare for emergency evacuation of its citizens abroad. Many Nigerians believe say government suppose have faster and clearer evacuation plan ready whenever crisis happen in any part of the world where Nigerians dey live and work.
Lessons for Nigeria's Diaspora Emergency Response
The Iran evacuation has exposed both the strengths and weaknesses of Nigeria's emergency response system for citizens abroad. On the positive side, the government eventually moved, secured Armenia's cooperation, coordinated with embassy staff on the ground, and confirmed that no Nigerian life has been lost.
However, the days of confusion, the accusations of slow response from stranded citizens, and the visible anxiety of families back home in Nigeria have highlighted the need for a more robust and proactive diaspora emergency management framework.
Other countries — China, Greece, the Czech Republic and Slovakia among them — had already evacuated hundreds of their nationals in the very early days of the conflict. China alone removed over 1,600 citizens from Iran quickly and efficiently, a speed that many Nigerians contrasted unfavourably with the pace of Nigeria's response.
Diaspora advocates have called on the Federal Government to develop a permanent emergency evacuation protocol that can be activated immediately whenever a crisis breaks out in any country with a significant Nigerian population — without the need for days of public pressure before action begins.
Looking Ahead
As the evacuation continues, the immediate priority remains getting all willing Nigerians safely out of Iran and back home. The Nigerian Embassy in Tehran, working alongside Armenian authorities, appears to have established a workable and secure route for this purpose.
Once the evacuation is complete, the government will face harder questions about the welfare of those who choose to remain in Iran, the recovery of those returning home who may have lost jobs, businesses, and belongings in the conflict zone, and the broader lessons that Nigeria must draw from this crisis for the future.
For now, however, the most important news for thousands of anxious Nigerian families is simple and reassuring: their loved ones are being escorted to safety, no Nigerian has been killed, and the road home through Armenia is open.
Source: This report is based on statements published by Vanguard Nigeria, Legit.ng, and The Armenian Report, citing Nigeria's Diaspora Commission Chairperson Abike Dabiri-Erewa and the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.