War: Buhari’s Top Minister Reveals How FG Spent N553M To Evacuate Stranded Nigerians From Sudan to Egypt

War: Buhari’s Top Minister Reveals How FG Spent N553M To Evacuate Stranded Nigerians From Sudan to Egypt

  • A fresh development has emerged regarding the stranded Nigerians in Sudan and the federal government's move
  • This is as the minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama disclosed that the federal government spent $1.2m to evacuate stranded Nigerians affected by the war in Sudan to Egypt
  • Meanwhile, about 40 buses were sent to move Nigerians out of Khartoum and other troubled parts of Sudan early Wednesday, April 26

The federal government, on Wednesday, April 26, in Abuja gave an update regarding its efforts to evacuate stranded Nigerians affected by the war in Sudan.

According to a report by The Punch, FG said it has spent $1.2m to deploy 40 buses to evacuate at least 2,400 stranded Nigerians out of Sudan.

1.2 Million USD to NGN – US Dollars to Naira

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How much is $1,200,000.00 – the one million two hundred thousand us dollars is worth ₦552,664,441.20 (NGN) today or five hundred fifty-two million six hundred sixty-four thousand four hundred forty-one naira 20 kobos.

Sudan war, federal government, stranded Nigerians in Sudan, Nigeria’s foreign minister, Geoffrey Onyeama
People escaped from the region by buses due to the clashes for 72 hours has been taken in Khartoum, Sudan on April 26, 2023. Photo credit: Omer Erdem/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

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1.2 million USD to NGN – US dollars to Naira

How much is $1,200,000.00 – the one million two hundred thousand us dollars is worth ₦552,664,441.20 (NGN) today or five hundred fifty-two million six hundred sixty-four thousand four hundred forty-one naira 20 kobos.

If calculated using the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) official rate of N460.97, this is what you will get: N553,164,000.

Why FG spent $1.2m, minister speaks

The minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, made this disclosure to State House correspondents shortly after this week’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.

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Onyeama said the high cost of the evacuation was to provide security cover for the eight-hour journey from Luxol to Cairo and the eleven-hour trip from Aswan to Cairo, Egypt, Vanguard report added.

No lives were lost, FG says

While noting that no Nigerian lost their lives in the conflict, Onyeama said there were no talks about alternative plans for continued education for the evacuees, most of whom are students of the University of Khartoum.

Sudan crisis: Evacuation update for stranded Nigerians emerges

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), confirmed that evacuation of stranded Nigerians in Sudan will commence in earnest on Tuesday, April 25.

As reported by the Nigerian Tribune, at least 5,500 Nigerians will be evacuated from Sudan on the first day.

The director of special duties, Onimode Bamidele, during an interview on Channel’s TV Sunrise Daily, said NEMA’s Director General, Mustapha Habib Ahmed, has travelled to Cairo to coordinate the evacuation exercise.

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Sudan: FG issues fresh directives to Nigerians as crisis intensifies, releases emergency numbers

Sudan War: Nigerian students wait as fresh evacuation update emerges

Recall that Legit.ng earlier reported that Nigerian students and citizens in war-wrecked Sudan are in a state of dilemma as the evacuation of diplomats begins.

Sudan’s de facto president, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, reached an agreement on this development.

Nigeria’s government, on the other hand, is yet to react to this development, while Saudi Arabia and Jordan have already completed the evacuation of their citizens.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Esther Odili avatar

Esther Odili (Politics and Current Affairs Editor) Esther Odili is a journalist and a Politics/Current Affairs Editor at Legit.ng with 6+ years of experience. She Holds OND and HND in Mass Communication from the Nigerian Institue of Journalism (NIJ), where she was recognized as the best student in print journalism in 2018. Before joining Legit.ng, Esther has worked with other reputable media houses, such as the New Telegraph newspaper and Galaxy Television. In 2024, Esther obtained a certificate in advanced digital reporting from the Google News Initiative. Email: esther.odili@corp.legit.ng.