Former INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu has officially taken up his post as Nigeria’s non-career ambassador to Qatar.
Yakubu landed in Doha on Wednesday, June 17, 2026, where he was welcomed by Ibrahim Fakhro, Director of Protocol at Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thirteen African ambassadors were also at the airport, the Ministry of Information and National Orientation said in a statement on Thursday.
Also present to receive him were Philip Mshelbila, Secretary-General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, and Michael Ihekwaba, President of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation in Qatar.
Yakubu completed his second term as INEC chairman in October 2025, becoming the first to serve two terms in that role. In November, President Bola Tinubu nominated him among 32 ambassadorial appointees sent to the Senate for confirmation. He was named Nigeria’s ambassador to Qatar on March 6, 2026.
As a non-career ambassador, Yakubu is a political appointee rather than a career diplomat. Tinubu’s administration appointed 31 non-career and 34 career ambassadors.
In Doha, Yakubu’s mandate will focus on strengthening Nigeria-Qatar bilateral ties and creating channels to direct diaspora remittances into domestic investments. Energy cooperation is expected to be central, with analysts pointing to potential partnerships between Qatar’s LNG expertise and Nigeria’s gas reserves.
Nigeria and Qatar established diplomatic relations in 2010 and opened embassies in Abuja and Doha in 2013. High-level visits have continued since, including former President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip in 2016, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s visit to Nigeria in 2019, and President Tinubu’s 2024 visit, which produced several agreements and MoUs.
