Saudi Arabia donates 50 tonnes of dates to Nigeria

The Saudi Arabia Embassy in Nigeria has donated 50 tonnes of dates to the federal government.

Faisal Alghamdi, the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria, made the donation on Friday.

Alghamdi said the humanitarian donation reflected the decades-long brotherly bond between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.

“Today’s handover of dates is part of the annual humanitarian and relief assistance presented by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque to a number of friendly countries, among which is Nigeria,’’ he said.

Alghamdi said the Saudi government, through King Salman’s Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), had provided necessary humanitarian assistance to Nigeria in different sectors of the economy.

The ambassador said it was part of the country’s continued commitment to alleviate the sufferings of people in distress.

“To fulfil its humanitarian pioneering role all over the world, my country has handed over more than 50 tonnes of dates to the friendly and brotherly Nigerian government, in addition to the 50 tonnes of dates distributed in Kano on Wednesday.

“The relief centre has been providing necessary humanitarian assistance to Nigeria in various fields. The most recent is the execution of the Et’am Three Initiative in March, which involved the distribution of food baskets to 5,606 beneficiaries.

“In Kano, Jigawa, Katsina, Borno and Abuja, at the cost of 40,000 dollars.

“Furthermore, the Suadi government, through KSRelief, carried out a medical diagnostic campaign in Abuja, Kano, and Lagos in the last quarter of 2023, in which different medical procedures were offered free of charge to Nigerians,” he said.

Murtala Jimoh, the Deputy Director of the Middle East and Gulf Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), received the donation on behalf of the Nigerian government.

He commended the Saudi government’s initiative, saying the dates would be distributed accordingly.

He said the donation was meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and victims of natural disasters across the country, particularly in the IDPs camps.

“The two countries are strategic in their respective regions. In Africa, Nigeria is a major player, while in the Middle East and Gulf, Saudi Arabia is a big player as well,” he said.