The Qatari government has declined Chief Bola Tinubu’s request to visit the nation and organize a business and investment forum.
In a letter addressed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday, Qatari authorities stated their inability to accommodate Mr. Tinubu and host the suggested forum on March 2 and 3.
The decision was attributed to the absence of a legally binding agreement between Qatar and Nigeria aimed at promoting investment.
Furthermore, the Qatari government highlighted that its Ministry of Commerce already had prior commitments on the dates Mr. Tinubu intended to visit.
“The Embassy has the honour to inform that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Qatar apologises that it will not be able to hold a Business and Investment Forum as proposed by Nigerian side” because “there is no any agreement signed between the State of Qatar and the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Investment Promotion and Protection,” the letter sent to the foreign affairs ministry on February 22 stated.
The Gulf nation emphasized that its Commerce and Industry Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim al-Thani, will be engaged in official duties abroad during the forthcoming visit period, rendering him unavailable to meet with the Nigerian leader.
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Moreover, it stated that Qatari officials would be occupied as Qatar is hosting its own “web summit” coinciding with Mr. Tinubu’s planned visit.
“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,” the letter indicated.
The Qatari government’s reluctance to reschedule the business forum to a more suitable time possibly indicated a lack of interest in establishing an economic partnership with Nigeria.
In a recent incident, the United Arab Emirates authorities contradicted an announcement claiming the lifting of a visa ban on Nigerians following Mr. Tinubu’s visit to the UAE leader, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, last year.
(PeoplesGazette)