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Germany pledges €5.5 million to aid Nigerians access to water, food

Fakoyejo Olalekan
Germany pledges €5.5 million to Nigerian government for indigent citizens

The Federal Government will receive €5.5 million as Germany’s contribution to aid vulnerable Nigerians access to water, food and shelter.

The donation was disclosed by the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria via Twitter. The commission stated that the pledge will go to the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund.
Nigeria has been battling the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected about 180 countries, including the US and European countries.

Presently, Nigeria has 174 confirmed cases of the disease, with 9 discharged and two COVID-19-related deaths. The country is currently under lockdown, while observing social distancing—precautionary measures which are being implemented globally.

What the fund will be used for: The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria said the fund will be used to fund food, shelter and clean water for impoverished citizens:

“Germany pledges €5.5m to the Nigeria Humanitarian Fund. It’s more critical than ever for vulnerable people to have access to clean water, food & shelter. This will enable partners to continue delivering life-saving aid amidst COVID-19.”

Germany is one of the top five humanitarian donors to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, behind the United States and the United Kingdom—which come first and second respectively—as shown on the website of Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Nigeria.

(READ MORE: COVID-19 could save naira from depreciating further)

Impact of Germany’s donation: Nigeria began donating to about 2.5 million poor and vulnerable households this week, following the 14-day lockdown announced by President Muhammadu Buhari. The households are identified in 35 states.

The Federal Government plans to give out N20,000 to each person for the next four months as a way of cushioning the effect of the coronavirus pandemic. The donation from Germany will boost the Government’s efforts in helping vulnerable Nigerians get through the lockdown.

FG has also been receiving donations from companies in the private sector, with banks like Zenith Bank, UBA, Access Bank and Keystone Bank leading the donation with at least N1 billion each. Other sectors have also been making pledges, with the likes of DSTV offering financial support.

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