L-R: Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, a special envoy of the Amir of Qatar, President Tinubu and Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff
President Bola Tinubu says initiatives by Qatari investors to explore Nigeria’s agricultural sector are welcomed as the country remains open to strategic partnerships that drive food security and economic prosperity.
Tinubu gave the assurance on Friday while receiving Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, a special envoy of the Amir of Qatar, in Abuja.
In his remarks, Tinubu said Nigeria is committed to implementing all bilateral agreements signed during his state visit to Qatar in 2024.
He directed key cabinet members—including Atiku Bagudu, minster of budget and economic planning, Mohammed Idris, minister of information, and Yusuf Tuggar, minister of foreign affairs — to coordinate the agreements’ timely execution.
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“To all the members of the delegation, I want to say a big thank you for coming to Nigeria,” Bayo Onanuga, spokesperson to the president, quoted Tinubu in a statement on X.
“We are grateful to God for what we have experienced as partners in progress. I am also glad that the Amir of Qatar greatly remembers the issues discussed during my visit last year.
“Let me commend the brotherly relations between Qatar and Nigeria. The Ambassador knows that I take Qatar very seriously. We are willing to go further in our bilateral relations.”
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The president praised Qatar’s diplomatic efforts and its contributions to global stability.
“I am proud of your efforts to bring peace and stability to the world,” Tinubu added.
“I see your efforts in human development, peace, and prosperity. Like you, we are sandwiched between the challenge of terrorism and helping our neighbours.
“We are conscious of who our friends are and those helping us to ameliorate the problems.”
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He also pointed to ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s tax system aimed at improving the ease of doing business for foreign investors.
“We are making efforts to reform our tax system. Going by experiences of the past and the need to depart from old ways, our reforms have been hard,” the president said.
“I made tough decisions so that we could grow. We are gradually seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.
“You can’t find a better partner than Nigeria. I always follow global issues and your efforts. You have to do more in Nigeria to help fight poverty in the humanitarian area. You have done well in developing a knowledge-based economy in Qatar, but what about Nigeria?”
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NIGERIA SEEKS PARTNERSHIP WITH QATAR IN AGRICULTURE
Tinubu emphasised that Nigeria seeks to deepen its partnership with Qatar in agriculture and food security.
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“We are doing well as much as we can as the leader in Africa. We want to continue to promote good relations with you. We are ready to do whatever we can do from here. We subscribe to peace efforts by your government. There can be no development without peace,” he added.
In response, Al-Khulaifi affirmed Qatar’s commitment to deepening its partnership with Nigeria, especially in agriculture, petrochemicals, and peace-building.
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“We have much to do together in agriculture, food, and petrochemicals. We have some companies telling us that we should create a way for them to come into Nigeria,” he said.
“The message I have from His Highness, Amir of Qatar, is that he wants Nigeria to be a strategic partner in Africa.
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“We are proud of the level of relations we have reached with Nigeria.
“I am very impressed with our partnership with the country, which is not just government to government but also people to people.”
Al-Khulaifi, who is also Qatar’s minister of state for foreign affairs, conveyed the Amir’s strong interest in strengthening ties with Nigeria, noting that a high-level Qatari business delegation will visit the country in the coming weeks.
