Over 13,600 stranded Nigerians repatriated in three years

At least 13,635 Nigerian citizens stranded abroad have been brought back to the country from ten nations over the last three years.

These repatriations, carried out from Libya, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Ghana, the Niger Republic, Algeria, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, and Mali, were documented in media reports and official data from the International Organisation for Migration, the National Emergency Management Agency, and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.

In 2025, a total of 3,358 Nigerians were repatriated from five countries.

The figures detail that 1,188 were returned from the Niger Republic, 1,773 from Libya, 140 from Sudan, 153 from Chad, and 104 from Algeria.

The previous year, 2024, saw 4,261 stranded Nigerians evacuated from seven countries. This included 29 from Sudan, 1,088 from the Niger Republic, 1,821 from Libya, 190 from the United Arab Emirates, 122 from Ghana, 338 from Mali, 673 from Chad, and 263 from Côte d’Ivoire.

In 2023, a total of 5,753 citizens were evacuated from four countries. This group consisted of 2,849 from Sudan, 1,916 from Libya, 975 from the Niger Republic, and 13 from Saudi Arabia.

Amid these repatriations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reiterated a warning in 2025 to citizens, particularly youths, about fraudulent job offers promising opportunities abroad.

The Ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, advised Nigerians to exercise caution and verify any overseas employment offers through official channels.

Similarly, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, cautioned youths against irregular migration, outlining the significant dangers associated with it.

He noted that while legal and regulated migration is a natural part of human development, irregular migration—which occurs outside legal frameworks—poses serious risks to lives, communities, and national development.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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