Tribune News Network
Doha
Nigerian new ambassador-designate to Qatar will soon arrive in the country, Head of Consular at the Embassy of Nigeria Musa Abubakar informed during a virtual Town Hall meeting organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation-Qatar (NIDO-Qatar) on Friday.
"The new ambassador has been screened and cleared by the national assembly and will soon arrive in Qatar,” the consular officer said without giving a specific date.
The Nigerian Embassy has been without a substantive ambassador for more than two years since the death of Ambassador Abdullahi Wase, who passed away in Doha in September 2019.
The Town Hall was held to address delays in mobilisation for passport intervention, the welfare of Nigerians in Qatar and awareness of vaccination against COVID-19.
There are 1,015 applications for renewal or new passports, according to the Consular, with more application forms yet to be collected.
About 10 percent of the Nigerian residents in Qatar have expired passports or in need for new passports for their newborns. The Nigerian expats are unable to get their passport renewed because the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar does not have a machine to process the travel documents. So, they rely on Passport Intervention team from the UAE but due to the COVID-19 situation, the immigration officers cannot visit Qatar.
"We have been talking to the Qatari Government and we know that every government releases new measures to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. As we all know, one of the biggest restrictions in Qatar is that non-residents are not allowed to enter the country. We have been talking to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government authorities and, in principle, they have accepted that when things stabilise, they will consider us,” Consular Musa added.
The consular said efforts are ongoing to get the machine at the embassy to cater for the over 11,000 members of Nigerian community in Qatar.
He said, the embassy "has been selected as one of the potential destinations to receive a passport machine, but it is still subject to government approval when the machines are procured.”
NIDO-Qatar President Victor Ikoli said, "This town hall meeting is timely as Nigerians are facing a myriad of challenges at home and abroad, and the solution to these challenges is in the hands of the government. Travelling home from Qatar to process passport by about 1,500 Nigerians should not be an option now due to the COVID-19 situation around the world. We advocate and hope for a diplomatic solution so that Nigerian immigration can come to Qatar.”
He added that more than 150 requests for change or transfer of sponsorship were made by Nigerians and sent to the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs for approval.
Doha
Nigerian new ambassador-designate to Qatar will soon arrive in the country, Head of Consular at the Embassy of Nigeria Musa Abubakar informed during a virtual Town Hall meeting organised by the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation-Qatar (NIDO-Qatar) on Friday.
"The new ambassador has been screened and cleared by the national assembly and will soon arrive in Qatar,” the consular officer said without giving a specific date.
The Nigerian Embassy has been without a substantive ambassador for more than two years since the death of Ambassador Abdullahi Wase, who passed away in Doha in September 2019.
The Town Hall was held to address delays in mobilisation for passport intervention, the welfare of Nigerians in Qatar and awareness of vaccination against COVID-19.
There are 1,015 applications for renewal or new passports, according to the Consular, with more application forms yet to be collected.
About 10 percent of the Nigerian residents in Qatar have expired passports or in need for new passports for their newborns. The Nigerian expats are unable to get their passport renewed because the Nigerian Embassy in Qatar does not have a machine to process the travel documents. So, they rely on Passport Intervention team from the UAE but due to the COVID-19 situation, the immigration officers cannot visit Qatar.
"We have been talking to the Qatari Government and we know that every government releases new measures to curb the Covid-19 pandemic. As we all know, one of the biggest restrictions in Qatar is that non-residents are not allowed to enter the country. We have been talking to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other government authorities and, in principle, they have accepted that when things stabilise, they will consider us,” Consular Musa added.
The consular said efforts are ongoing to get the machine at the embassy to cater for the over 11,000 members of Nigerian community in Qatar.
He said, the embassy "has been selected as one of the potential destinations to receive a passport machine, but it is still subject to government approval when the machines are procured.”
NIDO-Qatar President Victor Ikoli said, "This town hall meeting is timely as Nigerians are facing a myriad of challenges at home and abroad, and the solution to these challenges is in the hands of the government. Travelling home from Qatar to process passport by about 1,500 Nigerians should not be an option now due to the COVID-19 situation around the world. We advocate and hope for a diplomatic solution so that Nigerian immigration can come to Qatar.”
He added that more than 150 requests for change or transfer of sponsorship were made by Nigerians and sent to the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs for approval.