Nigerian migrants stranded in Libya and elsewhere will be bought home, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
The decision comes after the emergence of footage showing migrants being sold at slave auctions in Libya.
Mr Buhari said they were being treated like goats, and vowed to do everything possible to prevent more Nigerians making the perilous journey to Europe.
The announcement was made hours after Libya’s UN-backed authorities said they were increasing repatriation flights.
About 240 Nigerians were voluntarily flown home in a joint operation by Libya and the UN migrant agency on Tuesday night.
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The plight of those trapped in Libya – a major hub for migrants attempting to reach Europe – was highlighted by the footage, published by US news network CNN, which shows young men being auctioned for farm work.
The issue of people attempting to enter Europe illegally was already expected to be high on the agenda of this week’s African Union-European Union Summit, being held in the Ivorian city of Abidjan.