The Qatari government has reversed its earlier decision and will now hold a business and investment forum when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visits the Middle East country in March.
The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja confirmed the reversal of its earlier decision in a letter dated Friday, February 23, 2024, and addressed to the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nigeria.
“The Qatar Chamber of Commerce will host the Business and Investment Forum on the margins of President Tinubu’s visit,” it said.
The embassy had previously declined the request in a note verbale dated Thursday, February 22. The note verbale containing the reasons for the initial refusal to hold the forum was leaked and circulated on social media.
“The leaked diplomatic paper by mischief makers about an investment forum is not in any way a snub on President Tinubu by the Qatari government,” Tinubu’s media adviser, Bayo Onanuga, said in a statement on Saturday.
Qatari authorities had said that the request was declined because Qatar and Nigeria do not currently have any agreement on investment promotion and protection.
Moreover, the letter said Qatar’s minister of Commerce and Industry “will be carrying out official missions outside the country during the upcoming visit period.”
It also said the request for the forum was declined because Qatar will be hosting a web Summit during the suggested period and the state’s authorities will be preoccupied with this event.
President Tinubu’s state visit to Qatar is scheduled for March 2nd and 3rd.
“During the visit, discussions will be held at the highest level, on a wide range of bilateral and economic issues,” said the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Francisca Omayuli.
Onanuga insisted that the visit Visit will strengthen the bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries.
Since becoming president in May 2023, Tinubu has ramped up engagements with Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as Nigeria shops for investments to strengthen its struggling economy.
