Posted on: 04:49 Mon, 22 Feb 2016



President Muhammadu Buhari will
begin a weeklong official visit to
Saudi Arabia and Qatar on
Monday, and hold a special prayer
for Nigeria before returning to the
country.

Femi Adesina, special adviser to the
president on media and publicity,
announced the president’s trips in
a statement issued in Abuja on
Sunday.

The statement said Ibe Kachikwu,
minister of state for petroleum and
group managing director of the
Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC), will
accompany the president, who is
expected to hold talks with Saudi
authorities on stability in the price
of oil.

“Before going on to Doha, the
president will also visit Medina and
Mecca to pray for greater peace,
prosperity and progress in
Nigeria,” the statement read.

“President Buhari, who will be
accompanied by a high-powered
Federal Government delegation,
including the Minister of State
(Petroleum) and Group Managing
Director of the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, (NNPC), Dr.
Ibe Kachikwu, will first fly to
Riyadyh for talks on Tuesday with
King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud
and senior officials of the Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia.

“Ongoing efforts by Nigeria and
other members of the Organisation
of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC) to achieve greater stability
in the price of crude oil exports are
expected to be high on the agenda
of discussions between President
Buhari and the Saudi Monarch.

“Crude oil prices and market
stability will also be on the front
burner when President Buhari goes
on to Doha on Saturday for talks on
Sunday with the Emir of Qatar,
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al
Thani.”

Adesina said in Qatar, Buhari will
meet with top businessmen and
seek support for his administration.

“The president is also scheduled to
meet with leading Saudi and Qatari
businessmen in Riyadh and Doha,
and invite them to support his
administration’s efforts to revamp
the Nigerian economy by taking
advantage of the great investment
opportunities currently available in
Nigeria’s mining, agriculture,
power supply, infrastructure,
transportation, communications
and other sectors,” the statement
read.

“President Buhari’s other
engagements in Saudi Arabia
include meetings with heads of
international financial
organisations and multilateral
associations.”