Nigeria played a pivotal diplomatic role in securing urgent medical care for infants and babies evacuated from war-ravaged Gaza, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar. Speaking at the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing Series in Abuja on Thursday, Tuggar disclosed that Nigeria’s intervention followed a request from the Red Cross, which sought assistance in relocating critically ill infants to safer locations for immediate medical attention.
Tuggar explained that after careful consideration, Nigeria decided against directly taking in the infants due to the risks associated with transporting them over long distances, especially given their fragile medical conditions. Many of the children, he noted, were born with severe health complications, including heart conditions, making a long-haul flight to Nigeria a dangerous prospect.
“The Red Cross reached out to us, asking if Nigeria would be willing to take in some of the infants from Gaza because they were looking for countries that had shown concern over the dire humanitarian crisis. Our response was that we cannot take the risk of flying such fragile infants, some born with heart conditions, all the way from the Middle East to Nigeria. If something happens, people will question why we took such a risk when we have our own healthcare challenges here,” Tuggar stated.
Instead, the Nigerian government leveraged its diplomatic influence to negotiate with the governments of Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), urging them to provide medical care for the affected children. Through its diplomatic channels, Nigeria engaged with the Foreign Ministers of these countries and successfully secured their agreement to host and treat the infants.
“We used our good offices and diplomatic connections to reach out to the Foreign Ministers of these countries and impress upon them the need to accept and provide medical care for the infants. And alhamdulillah, it succeeded,” Tuggar added.
The Minister emphasized that Nigeria’s intervention aligns with its broader foreign policy principle of “strategic autonomy,” which enables the country to engage with multiple global partners based on national interests and humanitarian concerns.
Nigeria played a pivotal diplomatic role in securing urgent medical care for infants and babies evacuated from war-ravaged Gaza, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar. Speaking at the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing Series in Abuja on Thursday, Tuggar disclosed that Nigeria’s intervention followed a request from the Red Cross, which sought assistance in relocating critically ill infants to safer locations for immediate medical attention.
Tuggar explained that after careful consideration, Nigeria decided against directly taking in the infants due to the risks associated with transporting them over long distances, especially given their fragile medical conditions. Many of the children, he noted, were born with severe health complications, including heart conditions, making a long-haul flight to Nigeria a dangerous prospect.
“The Red Cross reached out to us, asking if Nigeria would be willing to take in some of the infants from Gaza because they were looking for countries that had shown concern over the dire humanitarian crisis. Our response was that we cannot take the risk of flying such fragile infants, some born with heart conditions, all the way from the Middle East to Nigeria. If something happens, people will question why we took such a risk when we have our own healthcare challenges here,” Tuggar stated.
Instead, the Nigerian government leveraged its diplomatic influence to negotiate with the governments of Jordan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), urging them to provide medical care for the affected children. Through its diplomatic channels, Nigeria engaged with the Foreign Ministers of these countries and successfully secured their agreement to host and treat the infants.
“We used our good offices and diplomatic connections to reach out to the Foreign Ministers of these countries and impress upon them the need to accept and provide medical care for the infants. And alhamdulillah, it succeeded,” Tuggar added.
The Minister emphasized that Nigeria’s intervention aligns with its broader foreign policy principle of “strategic autonomy,” which enables the country to engage with multiple global partners based on national interests and humanitarian concerns.
