The Peninsula
The world is set to witness a FIFA World Cup like no other in Qatar, a tournament that would leave indelible positive memories in the minds and hearts of every participant considering the level of preparedness and devotion shown by Qatar, the Ambassador of Nigeria to Qatar H.E. Yakubu Abdullahi Ahmed has said.
"Qatar’s devotion to ensuring its preparedness for the 2022 World Cup is remarkable. It has taken the focus and commitment of the people of Qatar, under the wise leadership of His Highness, Sheikh Tamim bin Hammad Al Thani, to achieve the impossible. Clearly, the State of Qatar has demonstrated that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. I believe the world is set to experience the best tournament yet," the Nigerian envoy to Qatar told The Peninsula recently in an interview.
Ambassador Ahmed noted that hosting the FIFA World Cup is a win-win for Qatar, its neighbors, and the region as a whole.
"Being the first time to take place in the Middle East, it gives the world the opportunity to visit the region, understand its culture, diversity, and people, as well as testify to the result of years of hard work involved in the preparation and organization of the world’s biggest football tournament," he said.
The ambassador reiterated Nigeria’s unflinching support towards the success of the tournament, saying that Qatar can always count on the brotherly and friendly nation of Nigeria as a trustworthy partner at all times.
"We’ve always enjoyed good relations between our two countries, and Nigeria is standing with Qatar to ensure a very successful tournament. Nigerians, in one way or another, have contributed to the success of the FIFA World Cup in their own way. "For example, the tournament’s first official theme song featured a prominent Nigerian musician, Davido, and it is on record that the song scored very high reviews and was well accepted globally," Ambassador Ahmed added.
"Also, Nigerians constitute a considerable portion of the over 20,000 volunteers taking part in the World Cup. "By and large, football is Nigeria’s national sport, and though, it is unfortunate that our team would not be playing in Qatar, Nigeria’s impact would no doubt be felt at Qatar 2022," Ambassador Ahmed added.
Speaking about the remarkable positive change in terms of service delivery and everything else at the embassy since he came on board, especially with the passport intervention exercise for Nigerians in Qatar that has witnessed tremendous improvement, the ambassador said that he and his team are committed to discharging their duties in the best way possible in line with the Federal Government of Nigeria’s policy.
"The Federal Government of Nigeria has positioned itself to deliver the very best to its citizens in diaspora. Therefore, it has been my duty to ensure that every Nigerian in Qatar is given the best treatment, as exemplified by the just concluded passport intervention that took place at the embassy."
"It is important that the needs of the Nigerian community are not forgotten. In this vein, the embassy remains committed to building on the existing and growing relationship with Nigerians living in Qatar. "I implore our nationals to maintain peace in the host country," Ambassador Ahmed said.
On the Nigeria-Qatar bilateral relationship that has been on the rise, especially in the last few years, the ambassador noted that there are ongoing negotiations across various sectors between both countries.
"It is not far from the truth that relations between Nigeria and Qatar have grown tremendously. “However, more can be done. There are ongoing negotiations across various sectors between both countries. I am certain that when they are concluded, they will open doors to greater partnerships between the two brotherly nations," the ambassador said.
He added that the embassy would be exploring the similarities in culture between Nigeria and Qatar, which could lead to greater collaboration with Katara and similar bodies.
"Seemingly, more collaboration will emerge in areas of art and fashion. I do believe that these have the potential to bridge the gap between our two countries."
Ambassador Ahmed noted that Nigerians in Qatar have displayed exemplary professionalism in their respective fields, and implored them to continue to be good ambassadors of their country in their respective fields of endeavors.
"Finally, I wish to express that I remain committed to working with the Nigerian community in promoting our country’s culture and diversity; which would further aid in fostering relations between Nigeria and Qatar," he said.