The Federal Government’s efforts to bring succour to flood victims in the north received a boost on Wednesday as the Chinese government donated $1 million to the relief fund.
Signing the exchange notes on the financial support with the Chinese Ambassador, Yu Dunhai, in Abuja, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, expressed appreciation for the humanitarian gesture of the Chinese government, noting that it signified the growing cooperation between the two countries in trade, infrastructure, technology, agriculture and now, disaster relief.
“We firmly believe that today’s signing ceremony will open new avenues for collaboration, strengthening our strategic partnership for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” he said.
The minister welcomed the intervention as a timely boost to the national relief efforts, emphasising that it would complement the government’s ongoing efforts to provide relief materials and rebuild the livelihoods of people in severely-impacted areas.
He assured that the grant would be managed within a transparent framework designed to maximise its impact.
“A transparent framework, leveraging past experiences and unified templates, will guide the process to ensure that the assistance reaches the intended beneficiaries in the most efficient and impactful manner. The government fully welcomes the joint monitoring and evaluation mechanism agreed with the Embassy of China,” Bagudu stated.
Dunhai expressed China’s empathy and solidarity with Nigeria, recalling that both countries recently faced the destructive impact of flooding.
“We would like to express our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives and also convey our support,” he said.
He recalled that China suffered flooding around the same time as Nigeria, noting that several lives were lost in Beijing’s suburbs in July.
“In times of difficulty, China and Nigeria always stand together,” the ambassador stated.
He emphasised that the grant demonstrated China’s confidence in Nigeria’s capacity to recover and rebuild.
“We are very confident that, under the strong leadership of the Federal Government and with the dedication and effort of all the people, Nigeria will overcome this hardship and rebuild its homes in the near future,” Dunhai said.
