President Bola Tinubu has welcomed new initiatives by Qatari investors to explore opportunities in Nigeria’s agricultural sector, assuring that the country remains open to strategic partnerships. The President gave the assurance while receiving Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, a special envoy from the Amir of the State of Qatar, at the State House on Friday.
Dr. Al-Khulaifi conveyed the 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.
“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,” President Tinubu said. “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.”
The President emphasized 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 relevant ministers to work together to ensure the timely execution of these agreements.
“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. I made tough decisions so that we could grow,” the President said.
Dr. Al-Khulaifi conveyed the Amir’s desire to strengthen the strategic partnership with Nigeria, particularly in peace-building, agriculture, and petrochemicals. “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,” he said.
The Qatari envoy announced that some Qatari companies will visit Nigeria to discuss investment opportunities in agriculture. “The message I have from His Highness, Amir of Qatar, is that he wants Nigeria to be a strategic partner in Africa,” he added.