TheCable

The government of Qatar has requested for a change in dates for the planned visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the country in September.

According to a note dated August 19 from the embassy of Qatar in Abuja to the ministry of foreign affairs, the dates of the proposed visitation “are not suitable”.

The note established that Nigeria had communicated in writing that Buhari had “accepted to visit Qatar on 11-12 September 2022 on the invitation of H.H Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar”.

It, however, instructed the federal government to propose a new date for the visit, preferably “during the first quarter of the year 2023”.

“The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Regions Department) and with reference to the latter’s note M 403/2022 dated 12/08/2022 informing that H.E Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has accepted to visit Qatar on 11-12 September 2022 on the invitation of H.H Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, Emir of the State of Qatar,” the statement reads.

According to the Qatar embassy, “the proposed dates for the visit are not suitable and kindly request the Nigerian side to propose other dates for the visit during the first quarter of the year 2023”.

“The Embassy of the State of Qatar avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Regions Department) the assurance of its highest consideration,” the statement added.

TheCable understands that the rejection of the planned visit is due to the Middle East country’s preparation for the 2022 World Cup.

Qatar is billed to host the FIFA World Cup from November 21 to December 18 later this year.

Nigeria will not be present at the mundial, after being piped to the ticket by Ghana earlier in March.