“The relationship between our countries is very good. We just have to build on it. We share a lot of similarities in different areas. We need to enhance bilateral trade and economic cooperation. We are willing to do a lot more with Nigeria, and will continue to work on investment opportunities of mutual benefit,” the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-thani told President Muhammadu Buhari when he visited the State House, Abuja, on Tuesday.
Sheikh Hamad Al-thani said he was honoured and happy to be in Nigeria for the first time, stressing it was a reciprocal visit to the one paid to Qatar in 2016 by President Buhari.
Speaking earlier, President Buhari made a case for Qatar’s investments in sectors like petroleum, power, aviation, agriculture, railways, and many others.
“We invite you to invest in our refineries, pipelines, power sector, aviation, agriculture, education, and many others, so that you can have your management here to oversee the investment. We need your expertise,” Buhari was quoted in a statement by Presidential spokesperson, Femi Adesina.
On the receding Lake Chad, the President said of the over 30 million people affected, more than half were in Nigeria, and it has contributed greatly to illegal migration, as innumerable youths dare the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea, in order to find safer shores in Europe. A large number die in the process.
“We need help with the recharge of Lake Chad, as it is not a project that the concerned countries can handle alone.
“Recharging the lake will bring back fishing, farming, animal husbandry, and the youths won’t be attracted by insurgency or illegal migration. We want Qatar to be involved because of the humanitarian nature of the endeavour,” President Buhari reportedly said.
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