PHOTOS: Nigeria receives 100 tonnes of dates from Saudi government

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has donated 100 tonnes of dates to the Nigerian government to alleviate the suffering of distressed citizens.

A similar donation was made in Kano on April 24.

The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre facilitated the donation of the dates.

Faisal Ebraheem Alghamdi, ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Nigeria, presented the dates in Abuja on Friday.

The Saudi ambassador said Nigeria and his country are consolidating their bilateral relationship.

He said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has delivered 98 projects in Nigeria valued at over $47 million in food security, health,  sanitation and hygiene, education, and charitable assistance.

Murtala Jimoh, deputy director of the Middle East and Gulf division at the federal ministry of foreign affairs, received the donation on behalf of the Nigerian government.

Jimoh said the dates would be distributed to Nigerians in need across the country, particularly, victims of natural disasters and those in the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps.

He also said the relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia is growing beyond religion-centred activities and spreading to other development-focused, economic, and bilateral matters.

“In November last year at the Saudi Africa summit, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Crown Prince held bilateral meetings where various areas of cooperation were discussed and agreed upon,” Jimoh said.

“A result of these meetings was the plan to inaugurate a Nigeria-Saudi Business Council which will oversee economic partnerships between the two countries.”

He added that the Nigeria-Saudi Arabia Business Council will champion investment, trade and commerce when fully established.

Below are pictures from the presentation at the embassy of Saudi Arabia.