The Presidency says the leaked diplomatic paper about an investment forum in Qatar is not a snub on President Bola Tinubu by the Qatari government.
The Presidency said this in reaction to a leaked diplomatic correspondence between the Embassy of Qatar in Abuja and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs over Tinubu’s state visit to Qatar between March 2 and 3, 2024.
Qatar had rejected a business and investment forum trip of President Tinubu to the Arab country.
The Embassy of Qatar in Abuja made this known via a letter dated February 22 and addressed to the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria.
Speaking on the development via a statement on Saturday, February 24, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the “Note Verbale” is about a private sector-led business and investment forum scheduled to be held during Tinubu’s state visit to Qatar.
Onanuga maintained that the Qatari government did not snub Tinubu.
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He stated: “The event is 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.
“We note the strong bilateral relationship between our two countries and affirm that the State Visit by President Bola Tinubu to Qatar is on the invitation of the Emir of Qatar, His Highness, Sheik Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.
“The State Visit is particularly aimed at strengthening the bilateral economic cooperation between Nigeria and Qatar.
“NACCIMA and Qatar Chambers of Commerce and Industry are 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.
“President Tinubu is expected to proceed to Qatar on the State Visit as scheduled and during the visit, the Nigerian leader will engage in high-level bilateral discussions with 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.”
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