Precious Nwonu, Enugu
The Nigerian Embassy in Qatar has reduced the processing period for passport issuance and renewal to about two weeks following a special intervention exercise in Doha.
The 10-day exercise, held between August 11 and 21, 2026, enabled the mission to process passport applications for 751 Nigerian nationals.
The Nigerian Ambassador to Qatar, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.
He said the applications comprised 441 requests for five-year passports and 310 applications for 10-year passports.
According to Yakubu, distribution of the newly produced passports commenced on September 18, less than a month after applicants completed their biometric capture.
He described the development as a significant improvement in the embassy’s consular services, noting that valid passports are essential for Nigerians living abroad, particularly for international travel, employment and residency requirements.
Yakubu said the shorter turnaround time demonstrated the embassy’s commitment to improving services and addressing the needs of Nigerians residing in Qatar.
The development comes amid increasing demand for consular services from the Nigerian community in the Gulf country.
Qatar Charity expands development operations in Nigeria
Meanwhile, Qatar Charity has expanded its operations in Nigeria, with plans to strengthen development and social welfare programmes across the country.
The organisation is also implementing a $10m integrated housing project in Abuja as part of its intervention programmes.
The development was discussed when Yakubu visited the organisation’s headquarters in Doha, where he met with its Executive Vice-President and Global Programmes Officer, Nawaf Abdullah Al-Hammadi.
The meeting focused on strengthening Qatar Charity’s long-term development activities in Nigeria, with emphasis on projects designed to provide sustainable support to communities.
One of the major projects is the Gaduwa housing development in Abuja, which combines residential facilities with a health clinic and school.
Yakubu said the Nigerian Embassy would support the initiative through diplomatic clearance and coordination with relevant government agencies.
He also expressed the hope that the integrated development model could be extended to other parts of Nigeria.
The ambassador said Qatar Charity had demonstrated commitment to improving the welfare of Nigerian communities, stressing that housing projects should be accompanied by access to essential services such as healthcare and education.
He said the partnership would contribute to development efforts in Nigeria while further strengthening relations between Nigeria and Qatar.