The United Arab Emirates has expressed its readiness to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda by contributing to every effort that will lead to a reduction of humanitarian crises as well as the eradication of poverty in Nigeria by 2030.
UAE’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al- Shamsi made this known when he received the Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Betta Edu on a working visit, in his office in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The Envoy who described Nigeria as his country said he was committed to Nigeria because he’s representing the United Arab Emirates and Nigeria. ”Nigerians are the nicest people I have ever met,” he confessed
He promised to convey the request to support the federal government initiative in tackling hunger, poverty, and humanitarian challenges facing the country to the necessary authorities, assuring that the partnership will work.
The Envoy further invited the Minister to attend the UN Climate Change Cop 28 to be hosted by the Government of the UAE, explaining that the meeting will bring together world leaders committed to tackling issues around climate change which has led to natural disasters exposed many to humanitarian crises and poverty.
Speaking, the Minister said that her visit to the Ambassador was a follow-up to the discussion with the UAE Government at the UNGA meeting.
She said Nigeria – UAE bilateral cooperation has made the two countries recognise their areas of common comparative advantages.
According to the Minister, climate change is one of the factors responsible for the humanitarian and poverty crisis in Nigeria.
“With the floods, drying up of the Lake Chad basin and other natural disasters associated with climate change, many Nigerians have been displaced and have lost their source of livelihood resulting in humanitarian crises and poverty”, Edu explained.
She assured the Ambassador that she would be in the team led by President Bola Tinubu to attend the Cop 28 which will be the 28th United Nations Climate Change conference.
“Climate change is one of the factors responsible for Humanitarian Crises and multiculti-dimensionality poverty in Nigeria. This is evident from temperature increase, rainfall variability, drought, desertification, rising sea levels, erosion, floods, thunderstorms, bushfires, landslides, land degradation, more frequent, extreme weather conditions, and loss of biodiversity as well as drying of the Lake chad basin by climate change”, she maintained.
The Minister also noted that all these factors continue to negatively affect the population adding that the President is committed to addressing these and the UAE should support them.
Dominica Nwabufo
