Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has expressed his country’s full solidarity with Gulf nations affected by attacks linked to the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, using a diplomatic ceremony in Abuja to deliver one of Nigeria’s clearest foreign policy statements since the war escalated.
Speaking at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, while receiving letters of credence from newly appointed ambassadors and high commissioners, President Tinubu singled out Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and Jordan by name, commending them for what he described as their resilience and restraint in the face of heightened regional tensions.
“Let me first of all congratulate all of you and use this opportunity to say that the Federal Republic of Nigeria expresses its full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the State of Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the State of Kuwait, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in the face of the recent attacks. The world needs tranquillity, peace and love. We share that solidarity with all of you in that region,” the President said.
The statement was issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Tinubu told the assembled envoys that Nigeria stood ready to work bilaterally and within multilateral forums to advocate for a fairer and more secure international order, citing an overlapping web of global crises including climate change, energy transitions, counter-terrorism, and the need for a more equitable global financial architecture. He said global challenges could only be resolved through collective will and international cooperation.
The credentials ceremony included the presentation of letters from the ambassadors of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Sudan, Somalia, Argentina, and the Republic of Congo, as well as high commissioners from Namibia and Rwanda. The Qatari ambassador, Yousef Mohammed Ahmed Mohammed Al-Hail, assured the President of continued strong bilateral relations between his country and Nigeria.
