Drama as Tinubu insists on visiting Qatar despite snub

The Qatari Embassy in Abuja rejected the request in a letter dated February 22 2024 and addressed to the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria.

The letter partly read: “The Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja presents its compliments to the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Regarding the upcoming state visit of H. E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Qatar from March 2 and 3, 2024 and with reference to your note: Ref: ME.631 2024 dated 12/02/2024, which proposed the holding of a business and investment forum on the margins of Mr President’s visit to Qatar on March 2, 2024.

“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.”

Writing further, the embassy added: “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.”

However, the Presidency has rejected insinuations that Qatar snubbed Tinubu, saying: “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.”

Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement titled, ‘President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Qatar,’ responded to the leaked note between both countries and explained that Tinubu was expected to proceed to Qatar on the state visit as scheduled.

“We are aware of a leaked diplomatic correspondence between the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja and our Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to Qatar between March 2 and 3, 2024,” the statement added.

“The leaked diplomatic paper by mischief makers about an investment forum is not in any way a snub of President Tinubu by the Qatari government.”

In another development, the government of Qatar has reversed its earlier position not to host a business meeting with Nigerians on the sideline of President Bola Tinubu’s visit to the country next month.

The Qatari embassy in Abuja in a “Note Verbale” to the protocol department of Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry, said: “Qatar Chamber of Commerce will host” the Business and Investment Forum on the margins of President Tinubu’s visit.