FG Begins Land Evacuation of Nigerians in Iran via Armenia Border as Middle East War Intensifies and Airspace Remains a No-Fly Zone

The Nigerian government has officially moved from “monitoring” to “action” in the face of the widening Middle East conflict. On Tuesday, March 10, 2026, the Federal Government began the physical evacuation of its citizens from Iran, bypassing the dangerous and currently shuttered skies by guiding them across the land border into Armenia.

The operation, coordinated by the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran and overseen by the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), is a direct response to the massive military escalations that began on February 28. With major Iranian cities under fire and retaliatory strikes lighting up the region, the “State of Harmony” for foreign nationals has vanished. NiDCOM boss Abike Dabiri-Erewa confirmed that diplomatic staff are working around the clock at the Armenian border, providing safe passage for a first wave of Nigerians who have opted to flee the war zone.

“The skies are currently unsafe for flight,” Dabiri-Erewa noted, explaining why the government “flipped the script” on traditional airlifts in favor of land-based convoys. While the Armenian route offers a lifeline for those in Iran, the situation remains dire for hundreds of other Nigerians trapped in transit at airports in Doha and Dubai. These travelers have been caught in a “legal and logistical limbo” for over a week, waiting for a break in the missile exchanges that would allow international carriers to resume service.

Back home, the economic ripples of the conflict are being felt at every filling station, as the surge in global crude prices continues to drive domestic petrol costs toward the ₦1,500 mark. As the first group of evacuees crosses into the safety of Armenia, the Federal Government has reiterated its plea for Nigerians in the wider Gulf region to remain vigilant and keep the recently released emergency hotlines on speed dial. For now, the mission remains clear: get every willing Nigerian out of the line of fire before the “Renewed Hope” era faces its most significant foreign policy test yet.