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Tribune News Network
Doha
Governor Kashim Shettima of Nigeria's northeast state of Borno, the worst hit by the Boko Haram insurgency in the country, recently visited Qatar to understudy possible collaborations with Qatar's charity organisations for rehabilitation of the state.
According to the governor, there is a great need greater international assistance, management and coordination for rebuilding the ravaged state and region.
"We need the whole world to rally round us to help us in rehabilitation, reconstruction and peace-building after years of violence," Shettima said during a five-day mission to charitable bodies like Qatar Charity, Sheikh Eid Bin Mohammad Al Thani Charitable Association (Eid Charity), Qatar Foundation for Elderly People Care and Jassim & Hamad Bin Jassim Charitable Foundation.
The governor, who was received by Ambassador of Nigeria to Qatar HE Dr Haruna Bawa-Abdullahi Wase also met with members of the diplomatic community, eminent members of the community and Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Qatar (NIDO-Qatar) President Victor Ikoli at the ambassador's residence.
Addressing the envoys of Cuba, South Africa, Ethiopia, Gambia, Venezuela, Tanzania and Palestine, Governor Shettima said,"As torchbearers of your various nations through our fraternity, we can be of assistance to one another. As rightly said, some of the biggest investors in Nigeria are South Africans companies like telecom giant MTN and Shoprite."
"Through communication, we build bridges of friendship and fraternity. Through it, people from far places can come together as one. Luckily, most of the ambassadors here are tagged from what is called a developing country apart from saying South Africa and to a later extent Cuba, whose indices are much more superior than ours otherwise we share a lot of commonalities," Shetttima added.
"Such relationships cannot be bought by money. We cherish relationships, live and sustain on relationships because through it you can achieve a lot. We invite you to visit Nigeria and invest," the governor said, added that with Nigeria's population projected to be the world's third largest by the year 2050, it will become a global market and a target for investors.
Ambassador Wase said,"The governor came to Qatar to compare notes because his state is ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency, running into its tenth year. With support from international aid groups not forthcoming, he understands that Qatar as a nation has some charity organisations that help other countries. He came to see how these charities bodies are managed and how they export their humanitarian services to other parts of the world."
He added,"So, having seen how the system operates, he can go back to his state to organise it in like manner so that he will be able to dispense whatever help he gets from within Nigeria and outside. Particularly, we have the North-East Development Commission, which was established under the Act with the mandate to receive and manage funds allocated by the Federal Government and international donor agencies for the resettlement, rehabilitation, integration and reconstruction of roads, houses and business premises of victims of the insurgency."
