Nigeria Wants Culture Promoted in Qatar

Michael Olugbode in Abuja

Nigeria is routing for the promotion of her culture in Qatar with the country’s Ambassador to the Arab country, Yakubu Abdullahi Ahmed calling for partnership with Kiahf Committee of Katara Cultural Foundation to achieve this.

A statement yesterday  by the Embassy of Nigeria in Qatar said the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the State of Qatar, His Excellency, Yakubu Abdullahi Ahmed has called for Partnership with Katara in Promoting Nigerian Culture in Qatar.

According to the statement, the Ambassador made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to the office of the General Manager & Chairman of Kiahf Committee of Katara Cultural Foundation, Prof. Khalid Ibrahim Al Sulaiti, on Sunday in Katara, Doha, Qatar.

The Nigerian envoy during the visit was taken on a guided tour of the iconic Katara Cultural Village.

The statement said the highly visited Katara Cultural village is the sum total of cultural melting point of Qatar as well as place to experience cultures of other countries through such events as exhibitions of cultural arts and artefacts.

The Cultural Village is established on a million square metres of land distributed into about 50 buildings constructed for various cultural expressions and ceremonies. It has two kilometres coastal line for outdoor sea front cultural events and leisure.

General Manager of Katara in his briefing revealed that the major buildings in the cultural village include Katara Amphitheatre, art halls & galleries, drama theatre, masjids, opera house, hotels, restaurants and gardens, the statement said.

While elaborating, the GM said the amphitheatre was completed in the year 2008 and officially opened on 11th December, 2001. It covers 3,275 sqm and can accommodate 5,000 spectators. He added that Katara uses numerous halls and galleries to host various conferences, seminars, symposiums and exhibitions.

He welcomed the idea and also asserted that the Embassy should utilise Katara facilities to showcase Nigerian cultural heritage via series of exhibitions at regular intervals after the FIFA World Cup, Qatar 2022, and pledged his total support for any of such events that the Embassy will be willing to organise.

Ahmed, however, used the opportunity to inform his Qatari host that the purpose of his visit was to share with him, the rich cultural diversity of Nigeria.

According to him, Nigeria has over 250 distinct ethnic groups with different linguistic and cultural orientation and the rich culture of the people is expressed through the hosting of hundreds of annual traditional festivals featuring carnivals, boat rides, fishing, dances, songs, horse riding, and masquerades across the different ethnic lining. He therefore expressed the willingness of the Nigerian Embassy to partner with Katara in promoting Nigerian culture in Qatar.

The Nigerian envoy said the Mission will explore the possibilities of inviting interested public and private artists and art galleries in Nigeria to bring their talents and wares to Doha for some cultural events and exhibitions in Katara Cultural Village.