Despite COVID-19, UAE Embassy Sponsors Free Cataract Surgery For 250 Nigerians In January

Dr. Fahad Al-Taffaq, UAE Ambassador to Nigeria with President Muhammadu Buhari 

Despite the negative impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on world's economy which has forced countries to work with restricted budgets, Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Nigeria, last month, conducted not fewer than 250 free cataract surgeries in Nigeria.

The Embassy carried out the free surgeries through its charity organization, the Noor Dubai Foundation.

The foundation announced this On Wednesday, 3rd of February through its official Twitter handle, @noordubai.

Commending the Nigerian team, the foundation said they were proud of the efforts of the team in helping to revive sights.

"Despite the struggles of the pandemic the Noor Dubai Foundation in Africa have successfully completed 250 cataract surgeries in the month of January 2021 in Nigeria.

"We are proud of our team in the #NigerianOffice who are supporting us in reviving the gift of sight", the tweet reads.

The reputation of the UAE Embassy in Nigeria has grown remarkably in the past years due to the several humanitarian services and increased bilateral trade relations between the two countries.

Last year, during a special dinner to mark the country's 49th anniversary, her Ambassador to Nigeria, Dr. Fahad AI Taffag announced that the embassy carried out several interventions ranging from provision of eye care services as well as performed free cataract surgeries for more than 1,000 Nigerians. 

The Embassy also treated over 8,000 people, sunk boreholes to provide clean water to communities and schools, distributed food, relief items, masks and hand sanitisers to the most vulnerable communities, especially those in IDPs camps. 

The Ambassador also revealed that 

the total volume of non-oil bilateral trade between Nigeria and UAE hits $1.4 billion in 2019. 

While disclosing the  December first 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the establishment of a Joint Commission for Cooperation between the two countries, he noted that, throughout last year, the embassy carried out several initiatives across several sectors that positively impacted over 32,000 Nigerians.