A Nigerian woman has given birth onboard a repatriation flight from the United Arab Emirates.
Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, confirmed that a woman named Kafayat Amusan gave birth to a baby boy about 30 minutes after the flight left the airport.
The plane returned to Dubai immediately to ensure the safety of both mother and baby.
Mrs Amusan and her baby are in good condition after they were admitted to a hospital in Dubai. They are scheduled to return to Nigeria after the newborn’s birth certificate and other necessary travel documents are prepared.
The woman was among the first batch of Nigerians evacuated from United Arab Emirates due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Some 256 people were expected to arrive at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, in Nigeria’s commercial capital Lagos, at about 19:00 local time on Wednesday.
Nigerian authorities say they have secured isolation units in both in Lagos and the capital, Abuja, where returning Nigerians will be quarantined.
Foreign Affairs Minister Goeffery Onyeama earlier announced that 4,000 Nigerians living abroad had expressed willingness to return home.