DOHA NIGERIA government has appointed a resident ambassador to Qatar. The ambassador-designate is Sanni Bala Salauwa, a career diplomat.
Before Bala’s appointment, Nigeria’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been serving as the concurrent ambassador to the UAE and Qatar.
The new ambassador will resume duty in Qatar after formal presentation of his letter of credence to Qatar government and establishment of the embassy.
Speaking at an event on Friday, President of Nigerians in Diaspora, Qatar Chapter (NIDO-Qatar) OJ Millar said Nigeria government officials have informed him of the new development.
“We are happy that our quest for the establishment of a Nigeria embassy in Doha is becoming a reality.
The presence of the mission in Qatar will create trade and investment opportunities for both countries and provide quick diplomatic action and response to issues affecting Nigerians in Qatar,” he said.
He said Nigerians resident in Qatar have endured the absence of embassy and consular support in Qatar for so long. He pointed out that NIDO-Qatar has worked tirelessly over the past ten years to make this happen.
“The effort started in 2005 at a meeting on the issue to the former president of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Olu Adeniji during their visit to the G77+China conference in Qatar,” Millar said.
He said the group continued with its request for opening the embassy with several communications to subsequent administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The new arrangement is in fulfilment of a promise made by Nigeria Vice- President Namadi Sambo during his visit to Qatar for attending the inaugural Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
Millar noted that a civil air transport relationship was signed between Nigeria and Qatar (Qatar Airways and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority) five years ago on the Bilateral Air Traffic Service Agreement resulting in Qatar airway direct flight to Nigeria.
Hence, Nigerians in Qatar are very excited over the news of the new embassy, which will no doubt strengthen the relationship and cooperation between Qatar and Nigeria in many areas, including cultural, bilateral trade and investment.
Before Bala’s appointment, Nigeria’s ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been serving as the concurrent ambassador to the UAE and Qatar.
The new ambassador will resume duty in Qatar after formal presentation of his letter of credence to Qatar government and establishment of the embassy.
Speaking at an event on Friday, President of Nigerians in Diaspora, Qatar Chapter (NIDO-Qatar) OJ Millar said Nigeria government officials have informed him of the new development.
“We are happy that our quest for the establishment of a Nigeria embassy in Doha is becoming a reality.
The presence of the mission in Qatar will create trade and investment opportunities for both countries and provide quick diplomatic action and response to issues affecting Nigerians in Qatar,” he said.
He said Nigerians resident in Qatar have endured the absence of embassy and consular support in Qatar for so long. He pointed out that NIDO-Qatar has worked tirelessly over the past ten years to make this happen.
“The effort started in 2005 at a meeting on the issue to the former president of Nigeria Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and the then Minister of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Olu Adeniji during their visit to the G77+China conference in Qatar,” Millar said.
He said the group continued with its request for opening the embassy with several communications to subsequent administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The new arrangement is in fulfilment of a promise made by Nigeria Vice- President Namadi Sambo during his visit to Qatar for attending the inaugural Summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).
Millar noted that a civil air transport relationship was signed between Nigeria and Qatar (Qatar Airways and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority) five years ago on the Bilateral Air Traffic Service Agreement resulting in Qatar airway direct flight to Nigeria.
Hence, Nigerians in Qatar are very excited over the news of the new embassy, which will no doubt strengthen the relationship and cooperation between Qatar and Nigeria in many areas, including cultural, bilateral trade and investment.
Iyeke Onyerhovwo, first public relations officer the Nigerian group in Qatar said, “On behalf of the founding fathers of Dohanaija, we congratulate the Nigeria community in Qatar on the occasion of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Goodluck Jonathan, establishing a Nigeria Embassy in Qatar. This great achievement, was the noble 'objective' of the founding fathers of the Nigeria community in Qatar (Dohanaija), that metamorphosed into NIDO-QATAR, whose current executive members led by OJ Miller pursued to a successful conclusion; many thanks to the current Executive.”
“Our collective joy, is that the labour and struggle of this noble organisation since the summer of 2001, was not in vain and that it has been realised in our lifetime,” he added
The new ambassador is expected to resume in Qatar soon after all preliminaries between the two countries have been agreed and concluded.
According to Foreign ministry spokesperson, Ode Ogbole, the Federal Government was waiting for responses from the foreign countries before issuing letters of credence to the new ambassadors. “The sending state (Nigeria) will seek the approval or agreement of the receiving country by sending the ambassador’s credentials for verification before appointing an Ambassador or High Commissioner to a post or country,” he said.
1 comment:
Please am in Nigeria ..how do I get access to the Visa application to Qatar And Also flight information ..there's nothing on the internet!
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