Escalating hostilities in the Middle East are reverberating across Nigeria, forcing the suspension of pilgrimages, disrupting international travel, unsettling the oil and aviation markets, and triggering distress calls from Nigerians stranded abroad.

As tensions rise, members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) have staged protests in solidarity with Iran in parts of the country, including Kano, Kaduna and Lagos. The Iran-inspired Shiite group was founded in the late 1970s by cleric Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

The crisis follows intensified clashes between Iran, the United States and Israel, rooted in long-standing disagreements over Iran’s nuclear enrichment programme. Iran has launched retaliatory missile attacks on Israel and U.S.-aligned Gulf states, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Jordan.

Casualty figures have continued to rise, with reports indicating that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, members of his family and more than 700 Iranian citizens have been killed. Israel has recorded at least nine fatalities, while three U.S. soldiers have also reportedly died in the conflict.

Amid the turmoil, many Nigerians living in affected countries have been making distress calls home. The Nigeria in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) confirmed receiving enquiries from Nigerians seeking information on possible evacuation plans should the situation deteriorate further.

On the domestic front, the Federal Government has suspended pilgrimages to Israel. The Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) announced the immediate halt to all pilgrimage activities, citing the worsening security situation and the declaration of a state of emergency in Israel.

Executive Secretary of the Commission, Stephen Adegbite, said the decision also applies to pilgrimages organised by private operators until normalcy returns. He stressed that the safety and wellbeing of Nigerian pilgrims remain the Commission’s overriding priority, while urging Nigerians to pray for peace in Jerusalem and across the Middle East.

The suspension comes shortly after the conclusion of the 2025 main pilgrimage to Israel and Jordan, with the last batch of pilgrims returning safely to Murtala Muhammed International Airport on March 3. Adegbite noted that five successful pilgrimages had been conducted over the past two years.

Meanwhile, NiDCOM spokesman Abdur-Rahman Balogun clarified that Nigerians in United Arab Emirates and Iran, among others, had contacted the Commission over fears of being trapped by the conflict. He assured that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with relevant agencies and advised Nigerians abroad to comply strictly with travel advisories and remain in contact with Nigerian missions.

The crisis has also disrupted aviation, with several countries — including Iraq, Kuwait and Syria — closing parts of their airspace, forcing flight diversions and cancellations.

Raising concerns over the economic fallout, National President of the National Union of Air Transport Employees (NUATE), Ben Nnabue, warned that reduced flight frequencies and rerouting could significantly affect Nigeria’s aviation revenue. He said many Nigerians remain stranded in Gulf cities as airlines grapple with higher fuel and operational costs.

“Aviation is a global village. What happens in one region affects others,” Nnabue said, expressing hope that peace would soon return to restore normal travel and economic activities.