As Nigeria joins the world to celebrate the International Day for Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, has applauded NGOs for partnering with the ministry.
Farouq, in a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Media, Mrs Nneka Anibeze, praised the contributions of NGOs to humanity.
“Today, we celebrate the NGOs and our other partners, who have played critical roles in the sustenance of humankind, especially during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The importance of NGO workers and their selflessness for the benefit of our society, Nigeria and the world at large cannot be over-emphasised.
“The non-profit organisations and other partners have ensured that people, whose livelihoods were crippled due to the scourge, especially during the lockdown, were given lifeline through their voluntary supplies of food, sanitisers, masks, drugs and other relief items.
“We celebrate you today, as we look forward to maintaining better relationships to be able to assist humanity during crisis situations, “she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the World NGO Day is celebrated on Feb. 27 of every year to create awareness for NGOs and their various activities.
The Day, officially recognised by the Baltic Sea NGO Forum on April 17, 2012, is also dedicated to the celebration of those who have gone the extra mile to make the world a better place.
It was established by Marcis Liors Skadmanis, a UK-based social entrepreneur, and is celebrated by a lot of European countries, such as Poland, Russia, Norway and Sweden, among others.
The day aims to inspire people to become actively involved with NGOs, both in the public and private sectors, and to educate individuals worldwide on NGOs and their impact.
NAN also reports that the Day was first marked by the UN, EU and international organisations in 2014, and it is now observed and celebrated in no fewer than 89 countries of the world. (NAN)