Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has arrived in Doha, the capital city of Qatar, for a four-day working visit aimed at advancing education reforms and addressing the challenge of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

Mrs. Tinubu touched down at the Hamad International Airport, Doha, on Thursday evening, where she was received by officials of the Qatar Foundation and the Nigerian Embassy.

The visit follows an invitation from the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation, Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, and forms part of the First Lady’s ongoing efforts to reform the Almajiri education system and promote inclusive education for all Nigerian children.

During her stay, Mrs. Tinubu is expected to hold talks with the Chairperson of Qatar Foundation and Qatar’s Minister of Social Development, Buthaina Al Nuaimi, among other key stakeholders.

She is accompanied on the visit by the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmed, and the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, Dr. Mohammed Sani.

In a related development, Nigeria and Qatar have strengthened their partnership in the fight against illicit drug trafficking through the symbolic exchange of instruments of ratification between both countries.

The exchange was carried out by the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd), and Qatar’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ali Bin Ghanem Al-Hajri, at a brief ceremony held at the Qatar Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday.

The development follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, on March 3, 2024, in Doha. The MoU focuses on cooperation in combating the illicit trade in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances, and their precursors.

Speaking at the ceremony, Gen. Marwa commended the partnership, describing it as a crucial step in addressing a major global threat to public health and security. He reaffirmed NDLEA’s commitment to collaboration with its Qatari counterpart, noting that the agency had intercepted over 1,000 kilograms of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, cannabis, and other illicit drugs destined for Qatar in the past four years.

Marwa also lauded the Qatar government for its peace-building efforts and humanitarian interventions through the Qatar Foundation, while appealing for the Foundation’s support in establishing rehabilitation facilities for drug addiction treatment in Nigeria.

In his response, Ambassador Al-Hajri pledged to convey the request to the Qatar Foundation and commended the growing cooperation between Nigeria and Qatar, noting an increase in travel and bilateral engagements between both countries in recent times.