No fewer than 322 Nigerians stranded in the United States due to the coronavirus pandemic are on their way home.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, disclosed this on Saturday via Twitter.
According to him, the evacuees departed the Newark Liberty International Airport aboard an Ethiopian aircraft with flight number ET 509.
He said the returnees are expected to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos around 02:30pm.
The minister added that they all tested negative for the virus and would be subjected to mandatory repatriation protocols outlined by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 upon arrival in the country.
He explained that each of the returnees would undergo 14-day self-isolation and take another Covid-19 test before they are allowed to mix with the society.
In other news, Hadi Sirika, the Minister of Aviation has disclosed that airports in Nigeria are 90% ready for reopening.
This was disclosed by the aviation minister on Saturday, June 27 after he and other government officials took part in the dry run simulation exercises held at the domestic terminals of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos respectively.