Nigeria and Qatar deepen cultural and tourism cooperation, exploring a formal partnership to boost art, heritage, and creative exchange
Nigeria Qatar Cultural Exchange talks have resumed as both nations move to strengthen bilateral relations through art, heritage, and tourism partnerships.
Nigeria’s Minister of Art, Culture, Tourism, and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musawa, met with the Qatari Ambassador to Nigeria, H.E. Dr Ali bin Ghamen Al-Hajri, in Abuja to discuss opportunities for cultural collaboration and mutual growth.
Musawa highlighted Nigeria’s rich and diverse heritage, including its music, film, and art industries, while expressing interest in working with Qatar to preserve and display Nigerian artefacts.
She said, “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 them.”
Musawa added that both countries could benefit from a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focusing on cultural and creative collaborations, including music, tourism, and heritage preservation.
In response, Ambassador Al-Hajri affirmed Qatar’s commitment to promoting art and cultural diplomacy, describing culture as “a bridge between nations.”
He noted that Nigeria and Qatar had already strengthened cooperation across aviation, oil and gas, mining, and agriculture, and said the cultural sector was the next frontier for meaningful collaboration.
“Qatar is committed to collaborating with Nigeria to promote culture, increase tourism, and create mutually beneficial partnerships. The potential of Nigeria’s creative industry and its global influence is remarkable,” Al-Hajri said.
He proposed that both nations document their discussions in an MoU to institutionalise future collaborations in cultural events, art exhibitions, and exchange programmes.
Also present at the meeting were Dr Kabir Ali Masanawa, Executive Director of Katsina State History and Culture Bureau; Chioma Ude, Founder of the Africa International Film Festival (AFRIFF); Moriam Ajaga, Special Adviser to the President on Culture; and Abiola Abdulkareem, Special Adviser to the Minister on Sub-national Development.
The meeting marks a growing wave of cultural diplomacy, as Nigeria and Qatar seek to deepen international cooperation through art, tourism, and shared heritage.
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