Olumide Lawal
President Muhammadu Buhari said relationship between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia is a mutually beneficial one, which should grow stronger in the years to come.
While receiving the outgoing Ambassador of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Fahad Bin Abdullah Sefyan, in a farewell audience at State House, Abuja, Thursday.
Buhari observed that the relationship between the countries was strong, adding that apart from visiting Mecca and Medina for religious reasons, a lot of Nigerians are in Saudi Arabian universities.
According to him, the last farming season was quite good, and the Nigerian economy was gradually reviving, President Buhari said the two countries would have more areas to collaborate in future.
“I quite appreciate the relationship between the two countries,” the President stressed.
Ambassador Sefyan, who spent 20 months on tour of duty, said he loved it in Nigeria, and would have wanted to stay for longer, if not that he was now due for retirement.
He commended President Buhari’s visit to Saudi Arabia in February, last year, urging that there should be reciprocal visits between the leaders of both countries.
On the security situation in Nigeria, the outgoing Ambassador told the President: “I think you are doing very well, Your Excellency. We know what you have done with Boko Haram, and we applaud you.”
