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

The donation was presented by the Saudi ambassador to Nigeria, Faisal Alghamdi.

Murtala Jimoh, the deputy director of the Middle East and Gulf Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), received it on behalf of the Nigerian government.

Mr 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.

According to him, the Saudi government, through King Salman’s Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSRelief), has 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.

Responding, Mr Jimoh lauded 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.

“The cultural relations have existed, even before the independence of the two countries. We have the religious tourism which has been the core relationship in the past.

“But in the present administration of President Bola Tinubu, he has placed emphasis on a cordial and strategic relationship with the government of Saudi Arabia through the crown prince and various areas of partnership were discussed.

“The two leaders also agreed on the establishment of the Nigeria-Saudi Arabia business council, which will drive the economic relationship moving forward,’’ he said.

(NAN)