The Presidency has debunked insinuations that Qatari authorities had turned down request for an investment forum meeting by President Bola Tinubu during his upcoming trip to Qatar.
A leaked memo emerged on Saturday in which the Embassy of Qatar in Abuja conveyed its apologies for the inability of the country to hold the meeting as requested on the sidelines of President Tinubu’s visit to the country next week.
The leaked memo dated February 22, 2024, was addressed to the Protocol Department, Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and it stated: “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 the Nigerian side due to the following reasons:
“Unfortunately, there is no agreement signed between the State of Qatar and the Federal Republic of Nigeria on investment promotion and protection.
“His Excellency, the Minister of Commerce and Industry, will be carrying out official missions outside the country during the upcoming visit period.
“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 Embassy of the State of Qatar avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria the assurances of its highest consideration.”
Reacting to the leaked memo Mr Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, acknowledged the leaked diplomatic correspondence and blamed it on the handiwork of mischief makers.
He stated that the state visit would still hold between March 2 and March 4.
“We are aware of a leaked diplomatic correspondence between the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja and Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding President Tinubu’s visit between March 2 and March 3, 2024.
“The leaked diplomatic paper by mischief makers about an investment forum is not in any way a snub on Tinubu by the Qatari government.
“The business meeting 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.
“Business people from Nigeria planned to engage their counterparts from Qatar on commercial and investment opportunities available in both countries,’’ Onanuga stated.
He added that NACCIMA and the Qatari Chambers of Commerce and Industry were collaborating to take advantage of the president’s visit to Doha.
He stated also that the collaboration was to mobilise the business communities from the two countries to explore opportunities in the oil and gas sector.
They also planned to explore opportunities in manufacturing, agro-business, construction, real estate, ICT, renewable energy, solid minerals and service sector, among others.
It stated that Qatar’s position was based on the lack of a legally binding agreement between Qatar and Nigeria for the promotion of investments.
He stressed that President Tinubu was expected to proceed to Qatar on the state visit as scheduled.
He added that during the visit, the Nigerian leader would engage in high-level bilateral discussions with the Qatari leader on important matters, covering diplomatic and economic issues.
“It is incorrect to insinuate that the Qatari authorities have snubbed the Nigerian leader over a business and investment forum which is tangential to the state visit.
“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 also stated.
