President Bola Tinubu has welcomed new initiatives by Qatari investors to explore opportunities in the agricultural sector and assured that Nigeria remains open to strategic partnerships.
Gatekeepers News reports that the President gave the assurance on Friday at the State House while receiving Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, a special envoy from the Amir of the State of Qatar.
Dr Al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, conveyed Amir’s strong interest in expanding bilateral cooperation, announcing that a high-level Qatari business delegation will visit Nigeria in the coming weeks to explore opportunities in agriculture, food security, and other critical sectors.
Tinubu emphasised Nigeria’s readiness to build on the momentum generated by his state visit to Qatar in 2024, pledging to implement all bilateral agreements between the two countries. He directed the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, to work together to ensure the timely execution of these agreements.
“To all the members of the delegation, I want to say a big thank you for coming to Nigeria. 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,” he said.
The President said the Qatari government had demonstrated maturity and foresight in working for global peace and deserves commendation.
“I am proud of your efforts to bring peace and stability to the world. 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 is our friend and those helping us to ameliorate the problems”, he said.
Tinubu also noted ongoing reforms to streamline Nigeria’s tax system, making it easier for foreign investors to do business in the country.
