Former INEC Chairman Yakubu Returns as Qatar Ambassador

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, Nigeria’s ambassador to Qatar and former INEC chairman, arrived in Doha to take up his post.

After ending his term as INEC chairman late last year, President Bola Tinubu appointed Yakubu as ambassador to Qatar.

Moving from domestic election oversight to a high‑stakes diplomatic role represents a significant career shift, placing him in a region critical to Nigeria’s current economic foreign policy.

On Wednesday, he was welcomed at the airport by Ambassador Ibrahim Fakhro, Director of the Protocol Department of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The welcome ceremony also featured 13 African ambassadors, Dr. Philip Mshelbila, Secretary‑General of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF), and Michael Ndukaihe Ihekwaba, President of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) in Qatar.

Yet, Yakubu’s assignment in Doha is far from a quiet retirement or a ceremonial post.

Qatar has become a global diplomatic powerhouse, and the new ambassador faces responsibilities across economic, energy, and geopolitical arenas.

President Tinubu’s economic reforms, which include foreign‑exchange unification and subsidy removal, aim to attract foreign direct investment (FDI).

Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), ranks among the world’s largest, managing assets exceeding $500 billion.

Consequently, Yakubu must go beyond drafting bilateral agreements and actively promote viable Nigerian projects to Qatari investors.

Promising partnership sectors include agriculture, real estate, aviation, and digital infrastructure.