The State of Qatar has finally accepted to host the business and investment forum proposed by President Bola Tinubu during his visit slated for March 2, 2024, to the Arab country.
Qatar took this decision following a leaked memo on Saturday which showed that Qatar declined the proposed investment forum.
Giving reasons for the decline, the country cited the unavailability of the country’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mohammed Bin Hamad Al-Thani.
Also, the Embassy of Qatar in Abuja had said there was no agreement between the Arabian country and Nigeria regarding the investment forum.
It was earlier reported that the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Abuja stated this in a note verbale dated February 22 2024 addressed to the Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Nigeria.
But in the note verbale, which was received by the ministry on February 23 2024 and sighted by Punch on Saturday, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Qatar apologised for the rejection of the proposed business visit.
Reacting to the alleged rejection, the Presidency said the Qatari government did not snub Tinubu
It explained that the botched investment forum between the Nigerian and Qatari business communities was only one of several events lined up ahead of the President’s state visit to the Gulf country.
“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,” a statement signed by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, read.
However, in a twist of event, the Qatar government, in a note verbale which was sighted by Punch on Sunday, confirmed that the business parley would be held during Tinubu’s visit to the country.
The note verbale, dated Sunday, February 25, 2024, was addressed to the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Qatar embassy said, “Regarding the upcoming state visit of H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to Qatar from 2nd-3rd March 2024 and with reference to our note: Ref: QEA/FA/057/24 dated 22/02/2024, regarding holding of a Business and Investment Forum on the margins of Mr. President’s visit to Qatar on 2nd March 2024.
“The Embassy has the honour to convey that the Qatar Chamber of Commerce will host the above-mentioned event on March 3, 2024, as proposed by the Nigerian side.”
Punch
