The Federal Government through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has handed over the 50 tons of dates donated by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.

The aid was for onward distribution to the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and victims of natural disasters across the country.

Speaking at the official presentation of the fruits popularly called dabino in Hausa language, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Adamu Lamuwa, expressed confidence that the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs will judiciously distribute them to the designated people

“As a Ministry of humanitarian affairs, you know where it pinches more. For us in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, we have liaised with the Saudi government; we received these packages of 50 tons of dates and this is a formal handing over. You see, we have delivered the message to you as we received them with all gratitude to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”, Lamuwa said while presenting the item.

The Permanent Secretary added that the relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia did not just start with the donation as there has been decades-long brotherly bond between the two nations.

He noted that the donation was targeted towards Ramadan due to the significance of dates fruits to fasting but it was however delayed due to logistics challenges.

“They are distributing it, country by country, perhaps in alphabetical order. Before it reached Nigeria, the month of Ramadan ended. So, we are just getting them like a month or some weeks after but ideally, we should have gotten this during Ramadan.”

Receiving the humanitarian aid on behalf of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, its Permanent Secretary, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, assured the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of doing the needful to ensure it was delivered to the intended beneficiaries.

“On behalf of the management and staff of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, we thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the entire management and staff for this gesture, for being the link for this particular item to be delivered to the Ministry for onward distribution to the needy in the camps and outside the camps.

“We assure you that we will do the needful. We will make sure that the distribution is properly done and the intended beneficiaries actually receiving these items given to them. We will not disappoint you”, Eniyan promised.

Earlier on Friday, the donation was presented by the Saudi Ambassador to Nigeria, Faisal Alghamdi and was received by the deputy director of the Middle East and Gulf Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Murtala Jimoh, on behalf of Nigerian government.

According to Alghamdi, 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.