President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday said the nation’s economy which is currently in recession was recovering gradually.

In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, he said the President spoke while receiving the outgoing Ambassador of the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Fahad Bin Abdullah Sefyan, in a farewell audience at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Mr President noted that the “last farming season was quite good, and the Nigerian economy was gradually picking up, adding that the two countries would have more areas to collaborate in future.”

He 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.

“I quite appreciate the relationship between the two countries.”

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.

Speaking on the security situation in Nigeria, the outgoing Ambassador commended PMB saying, “I think you are doing very well, Your Excellency. We know what you have done with Boko Haram, and we applaud you.”

He also commended Buhari’s visit to Saudi Arabia in February, last year, urging that there should be reciprocal visits between the leaders of both countries.