President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, discussed with his President Donald Trump of the United States on the telephone.
The personal assistant to the president, Bashir Ahmad, disclosed this on his Twitter handle.
“President Muhammadu Buhari had a phone conversation with the US President Donald Trump today, the two leaders discussed Nigeria’s efforts to defeat the COVID–19 Pandemic, and President Trump pledged US support and solidarity. #COVID19Nigeria,” he tweeted
Also confirming the telephone conversation, the minister of information and culture, Lai Muhammed, said it was on the request of Trump.
He described the conversation between the presidents as cordial.
He said, “President @MBuhari today had a phone conversation with President Donald Trump, at the request of the American President. The conversation centred on Nigeria’s response to the #COVID19 pandemic”-HMIC, Alh. Lai Mohammed
“President Buhari used the opportunity to brief the American President on the steps that Nigeria is taking to contain the spread of the disease.
“For his part, President Trump assured that the United States stands in solidarity with Nigeria in this difficult time and promised to send ventilators to support the country in its fight against the pandemic. President Trump also extends his best regards to the people of Nigeria.”
“For his part, President Trump assured that the United States stands in solidarity with Nigeria in this difficult time and promised to send ventilators to support the country in its fight against the pandemic.
“President Trump also extends his best regards to the people of Nigeria.”
— Fed Min of Info & Cu (@FMICNigeria) April 28, 2020
Meanwhile, Germany has announced another financial intervention to assist Nigeria in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Announcing in a statement via its Twitter handle, @GERinNigeria, on Tuesday, the country said it is providing €5.5 million this time to support vulnerable people in Nigeria’s North-Eastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe.
The statement read, “Germany provides an additional €5.5 million (c. 2.2bn Naira) to the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund managed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria to continue life-saving aid in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States in the context of the COVID-19 crisis.
“Ongoing activities include drilling of wells, construction of sanitation facilities, rehabilitation of buildings or construction of shelters for internally displaced persons and other victims of insecurity in the North East.
“This brings Germany’s contribution to the NHF to a tota of €29 million since it became operational in May 2017, making Germany a major donor to the NHF over the past three years.”
The country also pledged €12 million to West Africa Health Organisation and Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) for the purchase of vital medical supplies and laboratory equipment, training measures, amongst other response to the pandemic in the region.
It added that it was providing the Nigeria Police Force with €20,000 worth personal protective equipment including hand disinfectant, protective clothing, surface disinfectant, face masks, clinical thermometers and gloves, adding that the materials would be handed over in Abuja shortly.
