The Presidency has dismissed the online reports insinuating that President Bola Tinubu was rejected by the Qatari Authorities to visit the country.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga dismissed the reports in a statement on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
Onanuga was responding to a leaked diplomatic correspondence between the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to Qatar between 2 and 3 March 2024.
He noted that “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”.
He explained that the Note Verbale was about a private sector-led Business and Investment Forum to be held on the margins of President Bola Tinubu’s State Visit.
He informed that the event was being put together by the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Qatar’s Chambers of Commerce and Industry where business people from Nigeria will engage their counterparts from Qatar on commercial and investment opportunities available in both countries.
Onanuga said, the Presidency noted the strong bilateral relationship between the two countries and affirmed that the State Visit by President Bola Tinubu to Qatar was on the invitation of the Emir of Qatar, His Highness, Sheik Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, adding that the State Visit was particularly aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic cooperation between Nigeria and Qatar.
According to him, NACCIMA and Qatar Chambers of Commerce and Industry we’re collaborating to take advantage of President Tinubu’s visit to Doha to mobilise the business community from our two countries to explore opportunities in key economic sectors such as oil & gas, manufacturing, agro-business, construction, real estate, ICT, Renewable Energy, Solid Minerals and service sector, among others.
He said, President Tinubu was expected to proceed to Qatar on the State Visit as scheduled and during the visit, the Nigerian leader would engage in high-level bilateral discussions with the Qatari leader on many important matters, covering the full range of diplomatic and economic issues.
“It is not correct for anyone to insinuate that the Qatari authorities have snubbed the Nigerian leader over a business and investment forum which is tangential to the all-important State Visit and which President Tinubu is slated to attend as a guest.
“President Tinubu and His Highness Al-Thani are both committed to maintaining and building on the existing cordial and special relationship between Nigeria and the State of Qatar”, Onanuga noted.
Meanwhile, in the leaked Note Verbale, the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja gave the following reasons why the Qatari government will not be able to hold a Business and Investment Forum as proposed by the Nigerian government.
It said, “there is no agreement signed between the State of Qatar and the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Investment Promotion and protection”.
Secondly, “His Excellency the Minister of Commerce and Industry will be carrying out official missions outside the country during the upcoming visit period”.
Thirdly, “the State of Qatar will be hosting a Web Summit during the suggested period and the State’s authorities will be preoccupied with this event”.
