Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, has officially resumed duties as Nigeria’s Ambassador to Qatar, marking the beginning of his diplomatic assignment in the Gulf nation.
Yakubu arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, where he was received by senior Qatari officials, members of the African diplomatic community, and representatives of the Nigerian community in the country.
The former INEC chairman was welcomed at Hamad International Airport by Ambassador Ibrahim Abdullah Fakhro, Director of the Protocol Department at Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
His arrival also drew significant diplomatic attention, with 13 African ambassadors and heads of mission based in Doha present to receive him.
The delegation was led by Ambassador Thierno Sow of Guinea, who currently serves as President of the Bureau of the African Group of Ambassadors to Qatar.
Also present at the reception were several notable figures, including Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, and President of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation in Qatar, Michael Ihekwaba.
Diplomats from several African countries attended the reception. They included representatives from Guinea, Algeria, Burundi, Morocco, Tanzania, Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Senegal, Togo, Benin, and the Central African Republic.
Yakubu also exchanged greetings with a number of diplomats during the reception, including the Ambassadors of Mali, Senegal, and Tanzania.
Following the airport reception, the Nigerian envoy proceeded to the Nigerian Embassy in Doha, where he met with embassy officials and staff as part of his formal assumption of office.