By Omololu Ogunmade
The European Union (EU) Tuesday in Abuja
donated €50m, an equivalent of N21 billion, in support of Nigeria’s
fight against coronavirus pandemic to the excitement of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Leading a delegation to the State House
for presentation of the donation to Buhari, Ambassador Kelti Karlsen
described the fund, said to have been channelled through the UN Coronavirus
basket fund, as the largest single contribution and support that EU is
providing anywhere outside Europe.
According to the ambassador, the
donation was a swift response to Nigeria’s call for assistance and a
demonstration of EU’s partnership with Nigeria.
‘‘We heard your call for assistance and the European's union (EU) has reacted swiftly as a demonstration of our true partnership,’’ he said.
‘‘We heard your call for assistance and the European's union (EU) has reacted swiftly as a demonstration of our true partnership,’’ he said.
A statement by the president’s media
adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, said the European's union Ambassador congratulated Buhari
for ‘‘a very powerful address to the nation last night,’’ adding,
‘‘indeed, the current situation is no joke and we wish to commend you
for taking bold and necessary measures.’’
According to Adesina, Karlsen also told
Buhari that the EU was still mobilising other sources of funding,
disclosing that the union had already paid €1.2 million to UNICEF while
goods purchased through such funding are expected in the country soon.
Reacting to the donation, the president
said it would go a long way in supporting Nigeria’s efforts at combating
and containing the virus and equally assist in revitalising the
national health care systems.
He also used the occasion to express the
sincere condolences of both the government and people of Nigeria to
EU-member countries and families who lost their loved ones as a result
of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Buhari said he was both grateful and touched that the European's union still cared to remember and support its partners.
‘‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the
families, friends and communities impacted. We are confident from
history that the resilience of Europe and our global collective will
enable us to emerge stronger from this tragedy.
‘‘Although the European's union is facing significant
challenges due to this pandemic, I am indeed touched and grateful that
the European Union still had the vision and foresight to remember its
friends, partners and allies across the world,’’ he said.
The statement said the president also
lauded the EU on the recent launch of the “Team Europe” package to
support countries in the fight against Coronavirus pandemic and its
consequences.
It added that the president further
submitted that the intervention, which he described as a collaboration
between the European's union, its member states, and financial institutions such as
the European Investment Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction
and Development, would go a long way in ensuring the impact of this
pandemic was controlled and contained.
The president was also said to have told
the ambassador that the huge sum would help to save millions of lives
and both Nigeria and Africa would remain grateful in several years to
come.
‘‘Indeed, this brotherly support will save millions of lives.
Nigeria, Africa and many beneficiary countries across the world will
remain grateful for generations to come,’’ he said.
Buhari, the statement added, proceeded
to provide the delegation with the update on the fight against Coronavius pandemic in the country, assuring that Nigeria was united in the battle.
‘‘So far, the number of confirmed cases
in Nigeria is 343. Our efforts as a Government have focused on
controlling and containing the virus to prevent community spread.
‘‘I want to assure you that in this
fight, Nigerians are united and by the grace of God and the continued
support from our partners, we shall succeed,’’ he said.
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