Turkish foundation sends $150,000 aid to Nigeria

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria (AA) - Thousands of Nigerians have benefited from Turkey's Diyanet Foundation’s humanitarian aid in 2017 including food stuffs and packs distributed to schools, a Turkish diplomatic official said.

Diyanet, the charity arm of Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs, said in a press release that it spent at least $150,660 on various humanitarian projects across Nigeria in the current year.

That excludes six educational scholarships offered to Nigerian citizens and regular distribution of academic books to schools, according to Ali Kasikirik, religious affairs attache of the Turkish Embassy in capital Abuja on Tuesday.

Three of the scholarships were for undergraduate studies while the remaining three were for high schools.

Kasikirik said the foundation spent $1,000 to organize a Qur'an recitation competition in Abuja, and the winners were sponsored by Turkey's Presidency of Religious Affairs to participate in an international Qur'an competition held in Turkish capital Ankara in May.

According to Diyanet's statement, the foundation spent at least $20,170 on a food distribution program during the Ramadan, benefiting some 500 families in Wuse, Dei Dei, Durumi Internally Displaced Persons camp, Mpape and Jikoko areas of the capital.

The statement added that in June, eight cows were sacrificed and 56 portions of meat were distributed to 250 families. The cost of this program was $2,650. In July, two cows were sacrificed and 14 portions of meat were distributed, which cost $840.

"During the Eid al-Adha, Diyanet Foundation conducted the yearly sacrificial meat distribution program in Abuja. A total of 250 cows were slaughtered making 1,750 portions and 6,500 families benefited from the program. The total amount spent on the program was $117,500," it said.

Diyanet also helped renovate an orphanage home under Nurul Bayan International Academy in October. The renovation cost $4,500, with an additional $1,500 spent on furniture including bunk beds, mattresses, bedsheets and blankets.

The foundation also helped provide drinking water to the Jum’at Mosque in Gwagwa area of Abuja under the Organization of Tadamunil Muslimeen. The borehole provided in October cost $2,500.