Qatari Leader Praises President Akufo-Addo's Exceptional Leadership

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, has applauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s exemplary leadership, that, he said, was worthy of emulation by others on the African Continent.

The Qatari leader said the President’s prudent management of the Ghanaian economy over the last 22 months, coupled with the prevailing social indicators, showed that he was governing Ghana well.

Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani gave the commendation on Tuesday in Doha, when President Akufo-Addo paid a day’s reciprocal official visit to Qatar, at the invitation of the Emir. 

He lauded the conducive investment and business climate being established in Ghana and expressed the hope of forging a strong relationship with Ghana, adding that there were lots of opportunities that the two countries could explore together.

The Emir indicated that the State of Qatar was readying the Qatar Investment Authority, the state-owned holding company that specialises in domestic and foreign investment, to explore opportunities in the areas of energy, tourism, agriculture, security, education, and infrastructural development in Ghana.

With the state of insecurity in the Sahel, West Africa, being of major concern to the world, he stated that military assistance from Qatar, to help fight the scourge of terrorism in countries like Burkina Faso and Mali, was in the offing.

He further assured Ghana of Qatar’s support in helping to equip Ghana’s security apparatus to deal with the menace.

President Akufo-Addo, on his part, thanked Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the invitation to visit Qatar.

He stated that Ghana, as a sovereign country, would not be dissuaded by anyone from pursuing a relationship with Qatar, adding; “We are determined to have a good relationship with Qatar, we value the relationship, and we will continue with it.”

The President noted that the preoccupation of his government, since assuming office in January 2017, had been to build a strong economy where investors, domestic and foreign, had confidence to invest in Ghana, and, thereby, deliver improved standards of living for the Ghanaian people.

As a result, he said, his government was embarking on an aggressive public private partnership programme to attract investment in the development of the country’s infrastructure.

President Akufo-Addo expressed the hope that with the solid participation from the Qatari Government and its private sector, Ghana could develop a modern railway network with strong production centre linkages that would connect the country to Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire, and to Togo.

The President also reiterated the presence of several other projects in the areas of roads, water, housing, transport, industry, manufacturing, agriculture, petroleum and gas, and the exploitation of Ghana’s mineral wealth, which are being structured to attract private sector financing.

He was, thus, hopeful that the respective visits to Ghana and Qatar by himself and Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani would mark the beginning of a fruitful and productive relationship between the two countries that would inure to the benefit of their people.