By Benjamin Njoku

The Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa resumed talks with the Qatari government, during the week to boost cultural exchange, arts, and tourism relations between the two countries. Musawa, who held a meeting with Dr Ali Ghamen Al-Hajri, the Ambassador of the State of Qatar to Nigeria in Abuja, highlighted Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage and potential partnerships with Qatar to promote mutual understanding and growth.

She emphasized Nigeria’s diverse cultural history, showcasing its music, movie industry, and arts, and expressed interest in collaborating with Qatar to preserve and display Nigerian artefacts.

“Our relationship with the Gulf is important but not complete without Qatar. We have shared alignments with the Fulani, Hausas, and Kanuris in Qatar. We generate content through music, the movie industry, and the arts. We have been very active in recovering most of our artefacts, like the Benin bronzes, and we want to work with Qatar to preserve and display our artefacts. We also look forward to having a memorandum of understanding on how our culture, music and active tourism partnerships can benefit both countries”, Musawa added.

Earlier, the Qatari ambassador Dr Ali Ghamen Al-Hajri highlighted Qatar’s commitment to promoting art and cultural projects, emphasizing its role in diplomacy and bridging nations.

The ambassador noted that both countries have significantly strengthened their economic ties in recent years through diplomatic engagement, to advance bilateral cooperation across several sectors including aviation, oil and gas, mining, infrastructure, and agriculture.