President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has expressed Nigeria’s full readiness to deepen strategic partnerships with Qatar as the Gulf nation signals new investment interests, particularly in agriculture, food security, and petrochemicals.
The President gave the assurance on Friday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Special Envoy of the Amir of Qatar.
Dr. Al-Khulaifi conveyed the Amir’s strong interest in strengthening bilateral cooperation and announced that a high-powered Qatari business delegation will visit Nigeria in the coming weeks to explore investment opportunities in key sectors.
President Tinubu welcomed the renewed collaboration, describing it as a build-up on the gains from his 2024 state visit to Doha. He directed the Ministers of Budget and Economic Planning, Foreign Affairs, and Information to ensure the speedy implementation of all bilateral agreements reached between both countries.
“We are grateful for your visit and the growing friendship between Nigeria and Qatar. The Amir’s commitment is commendable, and we remain ready to broaden our partnership,” Tinubu said.
The President praised Qatar’s role in global peacebuilding and acknowledged the country’s maturity and investment in human development.
“I am proud of your peace efforts. We share similar challenges, and your humanitarian work is inspiring. Like you, we face terrorism and work to support our neighbours. We need friends like Qatar in these times,” Tinubu added.
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He also assured the envoy that reforms to Nigeria’s tax system and investment climate are ongoing to make the country more investor-friendly. “We are pushing through tough reforms for sustainable growth. You won’t find a better partner than Nigeria,” the President said.
In response, Dr. Al-Khulaifi said Qatar is eager to make Nigeria a strategic partner in Africa and expand ties beyond the government level to include people-to-people connections.
“We are proud of our current level of relations. There’s great interest in agriculture and petrochemicals, and some companies are already exploring entry into Nigeria. The Amir sees Nigeria as a vital strategic partner,” he noted.
The Qatari envoy, who also serves as a mediator for peace in Africa and the Middle East, affirmed Qatar’s intention to support Nigeria’s development agenda and economic transformation goals.
The upcoming visit by Qatari investors is expected to open a new chapter in Nigeria-Qatar relations, with strong focus on joint ventures in agriculture, infrastructure, energy, and humanitarian development.