Photos: Buhari meets with President of Islamic Development Bank, welcomes offer to develop Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari says the offer by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to organize a financing roundtable in Abuja to mobilize more funds for investment and development of infrastructure in Nigeria, is highly welcomed by his government.

Buhari said this during his meeting with the President of the IDB, Dr Ahmed Mohammed Ali in Saudi Arabia today February 25th.

A statement by Presidential media aide, Shehu Garba, states that Buhari during the meeting, restated his government's determination to revamp and diversify the Nigerian economy rapidly.

"The days of Nigeria as a big oil producer with plenty of money are gone. We need all the support we can get to diversify our economy as quickly as possible. We also need to rehabilitate our infrastructure, develop the domestic capacity to feed ourselves and export the surplus,".

President Buhari welcomed the plan by the IDB to fast track the take-off of the Bilingual Education Program, aimed at integrating the Almajiri system of education with Western education in Nigeria. IDP President, Dr. Ali assured President Buhari that the IDB will work with its traditional partners such as the Saudi Fund, the Kuwait Fund, Arab Bank for Development in Africa and the Abu Dhabi Fund, to increase the quantum of funding available to Nigeria.

The IDB has already provided US$ 98 million for the Bilingual Education Program in Adamawa, Gombe, Kaduna, Kano, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Osun and Yobe. The bank plans to support similar projects in other states of Nigeria.