Safiya Nuhu said the group had been “well-received”, and were staying in hotels after fleeing the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The envoy said many more were arriving. Several thousands Nigerians live in Ukraine.

Nigeria’s ministry of foreign affairs had advised Nigerians leaving Ukraine to try to cross through the Hungarian and Romanian borders following difficulties at the Poland border.

A number of Africans have complained of racism at the Ukraine-Poland border.

Nigeria’s foreign affairs minister Geofrey Onyeama said he had spoken with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba about the issue and he was assured that Ukrainian border guards had been given orders to allow all foreigners leaving Ukraine to pass without restrictions.