Qatar to Establish Visa Centre, Training Facility in Nigeria

Nigerian workers seeking employment in Qatar are expected to benefit from proposed training and visa processing centres following a new labour cooperation agreement between the two countries.

The agreement provides for the establishment of a training facility to prepare prospective migrant workers for overseas employment and a Qatar Visa Centre to handle applications in Nigeria.

Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Muhammad Maigari Dingyadi, reached the agreement with his Qatari counterpart during a bilateral meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 358th Session of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

“Under the proposed arrangement, the training centre will prepare Nigerians seeking employment opportunities abroad by equipping them with relevant skills and knowledge required to access overseas jobs,” the ministry announced in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Annah Daniel, on Wednesday.

The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment described the agreement as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation and promote safe, orderly and regular labour migration.

Dingyadi said the agreement reflected the commitment of both countries to addressing challenges associated with international labour migration and improving cooperation in employment matters.

The ministry said the initiative would help ensure that prospective migrant workers receive adequate preparation before leaving Nigeria, while improving access to overseas job opportunities.

It also noted that the proposed centres would support the promotion of decent employment and strengthen arrangements for managing international recruitment and workers’ mobility.

Both countries expressed their readiness to deepen cooperation and explore further measures to improve employment prospects for Nigerians while promoting the protection of migrant workers.

The agreement comes as part of efforts to strengthen institutional partnerships between countries on labour migration, recruitment processes and the welfare of workers seeking employment outside their home countries.