Nigeria will on Wednesday start repatriation flights to countries bordering Ukraine for its citizens who are willing to return home, according to the foreign minister.

Geoffrey Onyeama said about 5,600 Nigerians are still in Ukraine, most of them students, and efforts were underway to ensure they move to safety in neighbouring Romania, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary.

He said Russia could also be one of the exit points.

Ukraine shut down its airspace last week following Russia's invasion.

Hundreds of Nigerian nationals have already left Ukraine by trains and busses.

But many of them and other Africans had complained of discrimination at border crossings after being prevented from boarding trains and busses that were carrying foreigners fleeing the conflict.