Qatar has reaffirmed its commitment to deepening economic ties with Nigeria, with special focus on agriculture, food security, and petrochemicals. The confirmation came during a high-level diplomatic exchange, where Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, the Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, disclosed that several Qatari companies are already expressing strong interest in entering the Nigerian market.
“Our ambassador has been actively following up with the projects. There’s so much we can achieve together—especially in agriculture, food, and the petrochemical sectors,” Al-Khulaifi said during the meeting. “We’ve had companies telling us they are ready; they just need a structured pathway to invest and establish operations in Nigeria.”
Al-Khulaifi, who also plays a central role in Qatar’s mediation efforts across Africa and the Middle East, noted that discussions are ongoing to facilitate a visit by Qatari business leaders to Nigeria. The purpose, he said, would be to explore viable investment opportunities and initiate concrete partnerships in priority sectors that align with Nigeria’s development agenda.
The renewed engagement between both countries follows earlier diplomatic efforts initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has continued to invite foreign direct investments into key sectors of Nigeria’s economy under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Agriculture, in particular, has been identified as a strategic pillar for job creation, food security, and sustainable economic growth.
Nigeria’s government has already taken steps to improve the investment climate, including reforms to ease the process of doing business and establishing special economic zones to attract foreign capital and expertise. The Qatari delegation’s commitment is seen as a significant boost to these efforts, given Qatar’s financial muscle and growing interest in Africa’s emerging markets.
With the groundwork now in motion, stakeholders are optimistic that future bilateral engagements will lead to tangible outcomes—ranging from technology transfer and infrastructure development to the creation of agro-processing hubs and expanded export opportunities for Nigerian produce.
As both nations look to the future, this evolving partnership is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping a new era of economic cooperation between Nigeria and the Gulf region.