The Federal Government of Nigeria has extended the ban on local and international flights by four weeks.
This was revealed by Chairman of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Boss Mustapha, during the daily briefing on Wednesday.
“Tomorrow marks the last day for the enforcement of the closure of Nigeria’s airspace to flights. We have assessed the situation in the aviation industry and have come to the conclusion that given the facts available to us and based on the advice of experts, the ban on all flights will be extended for an additional four weeks,” he said.
“The Honourable Minister of Aviation will give you details during this briefing.”
President Muhammadu Buhari relaxed a five-week lockdown in Lagos, Abuja and Ogun states from last Monday.
Meanwhile, a chartered plane conveying Nigerian returnees from the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday made an emergency U-turn.
It was learnt that the plane was scheduled to arrive at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport at 3 pm.
However, it had to make a U-turn after a pregnant woman went into labour.
The Chairman of the Nigerian in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, who confirmed the development, added that the plane will now arrive at Lagos by 7pm.
This is supposed to be the arrival of the first batch of Nigerians stuck abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Meanwhile, over 4,000 Nigerians are waiting to be evacuated across the world back home, Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, had said.
They are expected to be quarantined for 14 days in select hotels to confirm their Coronavirus status.
