This is as he has pledged to remove all bottlenecks standing in the way of profitable and legitimate enterprise.

Speaking at the Nigeria-Qatar Business and Investment Forum in Doha, on Sunday, President Tinubu told Qatari investors that Africa’s largest economy and its systems were being reformed and upgraded, and asked Qatar’s captains of industry to report any government official who might demand a bribe or any form of inducement at any point in their business endeavour moving forward with full assurance of their direct access to the President’s Office.

“I am here to give you the assurance that reforms are going on; forget about whatever you heard in the past. Whatever is the obstacle or problem that some of you might have experienced; it is in the past, because there is no obstacle in the future.

“Do not offer a bribe to any of our people, and if it is requested or taken from you, report to us. You will have access to me. Nigeria will no longer be defined by the past, but by what we do now and moving forward. Do not let perceptions become a hindrance to your will to invest. Nigeria is serious about revolutionizing investment promotion. We are removing obstacles today and we are going to continue to remove all obstacles. We have done so much within nine months. And I am assuring you, it is free entry, and free exit. Your funds will flow smoothly into and out of our country. Bring your investments,” the president stated.

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Moreover, the president noted that the war against corruption and insecurity in Nigeria had been significantly strengthened with the appointment of the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, as National Security Adviser, NSA.

“We have a man who has won many global awards for anti-corruption as an anti-corruption czar.

“My responsibility is to tell you that Nigeria is open for business, and to assure you that your investments are safe in our hands. We have men and women of great reputation here. And we believe we can forge a good committee that will advance our discussions to fruitful conclusions.

“A nation is an artificial entity unless there are good people to drive it. People build great nations and we have great people. We are ready,” the president affirmed.

The president also noted that Nigeria possessed vast opportunities in various fields, telling his host: “We have oil and gas; we have solid minerals. I do not see why we cannot become prolific partners in exploring iron ore, as well as steel production, and energy across the board.

“I am here to give you assurances in all spheres: tourism, hospitality, healthcare, and in many other opportunities that abound around us. Do not be the investors who miss out on the golden opportunity we present,” the president added.

Welcoming the Nigerian delegation in the presence of Qatari captains of industry, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al Abdullah Al Thani, Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, said his country looked forward to exploring opportunities in Nigeria, owing to its population demography and market, as it sought to prioritize new investments in low carbon initiatives, mineral products, petroleum chemicals, industry, and consumables.

“We look forward to working with our Nigerian counterparts to achieve our joint objectives in these sectors,” the minister said.

Accompanying the president to the Nigeria-Qatar Business and Investment Forum were Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum; Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani; Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake; Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate; Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola; Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Youth, Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim; and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr. Ekperipe Ekpo.

Also at the meeting were the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu; Special Adviser on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen; and the President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Mines, and Agriculture, NACCIMA, Mr. Dele Kelvin Oye.

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Before the signing ceremony at the Qatar Presidential Palace, President Tinubu assured his host of Nigeria’s preparedness to welcome investors into the country, noting the ongoing reforms that favour innovation, return on investments, and multiculturalism.

“Our greatest strength is our people. Our strength lies in the capacity of Nigerian youths. They have energy, talent, and self-belief. They are quality partners for Qatari industry. They are educated and reliable, and they are proactively seeking to add value wherever they are. A few cannot give a bad name to the many. Nigerian youths are ready to be unleashed for the mutual benefit of both nations.

“We have seen clearly the rapid pace and thorough quality of Qatar’s development process. It is impossible not to be moved by what you have accomplished. The leadership in the country has proven its mettle, and we are here to gain deeper insight.

“There is nowhere in the world where you will find return on investment at the level of what you will see in Nigeria. A massive market of over 200 million skilled Nigerians, always industrious and ready to work.

“We face some short-term turbulence at the moment, but we have a government today that reflects the dynamism and talent of the Nigerian people. We are implementing the right solutions. This team works collaboratively with each other and our partners. Nigeria is ready for serious business,” the president stated.

The Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, emphasized that Qatar is open to President Tinubu’s investment push, recalling that he travelled to Nigeria in 2019 owing to his belief that Nigeria is an important and strategic ally on its own and within the context of its role in regional affairs.

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“I have no doubt about the great capacity of the Nigerian people. Everywhere in the world, they are known for their brilliance and hard work. We only need to ensure that this is happening inside of Nigeria rather than outside. The investments we have made around the world have been very fruitful. This is because we take our time and study opportunities before we invest the common wealth of our people. It is not my money. The money we invest belongs to the future generations of Qatar.

“Mr. President, I am very encouraged by your actions and your passion to create new opportunities. We are very open to this, and follow-up is everything at this point. The will is there for both of us, but we must follow up. I will send a team of officials to Nigeria after Ramadan, and we will advance discussions on what some of the actionable investment opportunities are,” the Qatari leader said.

President Tinubu immediately named the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, as the team leader of the government team that will interface with Qatari authorities in investment identification and implementation moving forward.

Furthermore, during the bilateral deliberations, President Tinubu enabled a brief presentation to the Emir by the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, who spoke in detail about the high-grade of several minerals, including lithium, immediately derivable across the country with an emphasis on imminent opportunities for local mineral processing and value-additive industry in the sector.

The bilateral engagement was followed by a closed-door meeting between the two Heads of State before they proceeded to the signing ceremony for seven bilateral agreements across multiple sectors.

The seven agreements signed are: cooperation agreement in the field of education; regulation of employment of workers with the Government of Qatar; establishment of a joint business council (JBC) between the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA); in addition to a cooperation agreement in the field of youths and sports.

The other agreements are: cooperation in the field of tourism and business events, and a memorandum of understanding combating illicit trade in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.

The documents were signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, and relevant officials in the Government of the State of Qatar, Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi, Minister of Education and Higher Education; Dr. Ahmad Hassen Al-Hammadi, Secretary General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Sheikh Khalifa Bin Jassim Al Thani, Chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce & Industry, QCCI, and Abdullah bin Khalaf bin Hattab Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, MOI.

Nigerian ministers who were present at the ceremony were: Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Mr. Wale Edun; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake; Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate; Minister of Trade, Industry and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite; and the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Mr. Ekperipe Ekpo.

Also at the meeting were the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and Special Adviser on Energy, Mrs. Olu Verheijen.

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Speaking in Doha, the capital of the State of Qatar, at the UN Conference of Least Developed Countries, the president strongly criticized the current structure of the global financial system which places an unsustainable external debt burden on the most vulnerable countries.

He warned that such debt burdens would make it extremely difficult for LDCs to meet the 2030 Agenda for Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

‘‘In 2015, the world came together to endorse the 2030 Agenda for Seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. There was no doubt that it was highly ambitious and would require leaders around the world to be fully committed for the SDGs to be achieved within the projected timeframe.

‘‘Eight years on, the possibility of achieving the SDGs remains bleak for many countries, particularly, the Least Developed Countries. The difficulties in achieving the SDGs are numerous and were further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic, the continued threat of Climate Change, and recently the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

‘‘The Least Developed Countries are often faced with developmental vulnerabilities and challenges that are not always of their making. These pose huge obstacles to their development efforts, hence the need for urgent and robust assistance to help unlock their potentials and build socio-economic resilience.

‘‘This assistance can be provided within the framework  of the Doha Programme of Action which is designed to help LDCs exit their current classification,’’ he said.

The Nigerian leader challenged developed countries, civil society actors, the private sector, and the business community, to partner with the LDCs in order to provide necessary resources and capacity to deliver development outcomes in the economic, social, and environmental aspects of the 2030 Agenda.

He listed some measures that will help LDCs recover from COVID-19, achieve SDGs, develop and prosper over the long term.

‘‘As a matter of urgency, there are a number of priorities we have to focus on to help achieve the SDGs in these countries and ensure their prosperity. First, COVID-19 has taught us that we must all work together, to ensure that diseases do not thrive in the LDCs, due to their overall negative impact on productivity and economic growth and development.

‘‘Accordingly, policy and budgetary provisions must be made to ensure equal access to medicare and vaccines, for both the poor and the rich alike. We must also work with manufacturers of medical equipment and pharmaceutical companies to provide adequate equipment, test-kits, vaccines and treatments for diseases,’’ he said.

Expounding on the issue of rising debt burden, President Buhari underscored the need for reforms of the international financial architecture that prioritizes the need of Least Developed Countries.

He aligned with the United Nations Secretary-General’s description on the global financial system as an “unfair debt architecture that not only charges poor countries much more money to borrow on the market than advanced economies, but downgrades them when they even think of restructuring their debt or applying for debt relief.”

On trade issues, President Buhari said it was important to put in place modalities to facilitate transit cooperation, transfer of technologies, and access to global e-commerce platforms, as they were critical for the integration of LDCs into the regional and global value chains and communications technology services.

‘‘The adoption of a global coordination mechanism to systematically monitor illicit financial flows and engender support for a United Nations International convention on tax matters to eliminate base erosion and profit shifting, tax evasion, capital gains tax and other tax abuses is essential to achieving the SDGs and promoting security and economic prosperity,’’ he stressed.

On Nigeria’s expectation for the conference, the president expressed optimism that the Doha Programme of Action would lead to the acceleration of exports from LDCs by 2031, through the facilitation of their access to foreign markets in line with World Trade Organization Facilitation Agreement.

On climate change, President Buhari said that LDCs continued to suffer disproportionately despite contributing least to its causes.

He added that countries must prioritize cutting global emissions and work with determination to hold warming to 1.5 degrees, thereby securing the children’s future.

“We must also commit to helping build resilience in developing countries, while also providing the needed technical as well as financial support for a just transition to renewable energy,’’ he said.

He warned that climate change remained one of the biggest existential threats facing humanity today, posing challenges to lives and livelihoods, and manifesting in different negative forms, including increase in temperature, rise in sea levels, flooding, drought, and desertification.

‘‘It has also led to significant loss of biodiversity. Worst still, climate change has exacerbated conflicts and led to unplanned migration, causing untold hardship in places like the Lake Chad Basin region.

‘‘The Least Developed Countries therefore continue to suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate change, despite contributing the least to its causes. Deaths from climate related crises are higher in the most vulnerable countries, with projections that there will continue to be an upward trend.

‘‘We must continue to focus on how best to ensure the provision of security, education, health and other basic services to our people, in order to guarantee a prosperous future for all,’’ he said.

Buhari commended the State of Qatar for hosting the conference and thanked Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir, for inviting him.

He also expressed appreciation to the UN for its excellent organisation of the conference and its continued support for the LDCs.

The president also explained his presence at the conference despite the fact that Nigeria is not categorised as one of the Least Developed Countries.

‘‘Nigeria is here to show solidarity and support to the LDCs in the quest to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, especially in this decade of action, where no one should be left behind,’’ he said.

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This follows an invitation by the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The conference which is from 5th to 9th March, 2023 under the theme: “From Potential to Prosperity,” holds once in a decade and provides an opportunity to garner the support of the international community for accelerating sustainable development in the LDCs as well as assist them make progress towards achieving prosperity.

In Doha, Buhari will reinforce Nigeria’s commitment to support the most vulnerable countries to meet their development challenges, highlighting areas through which the Nigerian government has provided them with various forms of assistance over time.

As most of these countries struggle to find sustainable solutions to challenges of poverty, adverse effects of climate change, food and energy crisis as well as high-debt burden among others, the Nigerian leader will vigorously reiterate the need for sustainable solutions for countries facing these severe challenges.

The summit will be attended by world leaders, the private sector, civil society and youth organisations.

It aims to share developmental ideas and mobilize political will, solidarity, action and solutions to transform the LDCs, by finding sustainable solutions to the challenges of poverty, food insecurity, hunger, weak or non-existent infrastructure, inadequate health facilities, climate change among others as they struggle to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, by 2030.

Buhari’s delegation includes some ministers and top government officials who are expected to use the opportunity of the visit to sign some agreements and Memoranda of Understanding with the Qatari government.

The president is expected to return to the country on Wednesday, March 8.

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