ABUJA, May 5 (Xinhua) -- The Nigerian government will start on Wednesday to evacuate its nationals stranded abroad due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama said on Monday.
At least three foreign airlines and one local carrier would take back the Nigerians abroad in batches, Onyeama told local media.
About 4,000 Nigerian nationals have indicated their interest in going home from across the world, including those in India, Britain and the United States, the minister said.
However, insufficient isolation centers have become a major challenge to the government, as returnees would stay in quarantine for two weeks.
"We have secured 300 beds in Lagos and 1,000 in Abuja," Onyeama said.
Nigeria has shut down its airports since late March to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
Nigeria has confirmed 2,802 COVID-19 cases and reported 93 related deaths so far. Enditem
