In a bid to ensure safe and dignified return of Nigerians stranded abroad, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has successfully repatriated 153 Nigerians from Chad under the Assisted Voluntary Return Programme.
According to a statement from NEMA’s Lagos Operations Office shared via its official X handle on Tuesday, the returnees arrived the Cargo Terminal of Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos aboard an ASKY Airlines flight (CAS-AC).
The statement detailed that the group comprised 105 adults (63 males and 42 females), 45 children (25 boys and 20 girls), and three infants (all females).
Upon arrival, officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) carried out biometric registration and documentation to ensure accurate profiling and smooth reintegration.
NEMA provided the returnees with immediate humanitarian assistance such as food, potable water, medical care, counselling, and logistics support. The agency reaffirmed that these measures are part of the Federal Government’s ongoing commitment to upholding the dignity and welfare of Nigerians returning from foreign lands.
“In line with the Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring the safe, dignified, and humane return of citizens, the returnees were provided with immediate humanitarian assistance,” the statement read.
The repatriation exercise was jointly coordinated by NEMA, IOM, and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI). The returnees have since been relocated to their respective home states after completing documentation and counselling procedures.
This operation follows a similar exercise last week, which saw 150 Nigerians return from Agadez, Niger Republic, under the same programme.
The IOM’s 2024 Annual Report revealed that a total of 4,760 Nigerians stranded abroad were assisted to return home last year through the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme comprising 2,435 men and 2,324 women. The majority came from Libya (1,631), Niger (1,088), Chad (523), Mali (338), and Côte d’Ivoire (263).
Among them were 1,101 victims of human trafficking, mostly from Edo, Delta, Ogun, Imo, and Lagos states.
The IOM emphasized that the AVRR programme aims to ensure sustainable reintegration by combining travel assistance with post-arrival support, including vocational training, business grants, and psychosocial services.
“The aim is to prevent re-migration and promote sustainability,” the report stated, while acknowledging ongoing challenges such as unemployment and economic reintegration, especially for women and youth.
With this latest operation, NEMA and IOM continue to strengthen Nigeria’s migration governance framework, ensuring that every Nigerian abroad, regardless of circumstance, has the opportunity to return home safely and rebuild with dignity.
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