The Nigerian Embassy in Qatar has reduced the processing time for passport issuance and renewal to about two weeks following a 10-day intervention exercise in Doha.

The intervention, held between August 11 and 21, 2026, processed passport applications for 751 Nigerian nationals, according to the Nigerian Ambassador to Qatar, Professor Mahmood Yakubu.

Yakubu disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, saying the applications comprised 441 requests for five-year passports and 310 applications for 10-year passports.

He said distribution of the completed passports began on September 18, less than a month after applicants completed biometric capture.

The ambassador 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.

He said the shorter processing period demonstrated the mission’s efforts to improve service delivery and respond to the needs of the Nigerian community in Qatar.

The development comes amid increasing demand for consular services from the growing Nigerian population in the Gulf country.

Meanwhile, Qatar Charity has expanded its field office in Abuja as part of efforts to increase its development and social welfare programmes across Nigeria.

The organisation’s plans were discussed during a visit by Yakubu to its headquarters in Doha, where he met with its Executive Vice President and Global Programmes Officer, Nawaf Abdullah Al-Hammadi.

The discussions focused on expanding Qatar Charity’s long-term development activities in Nigeria, with emphasis on sustainable projects rather than short-term humanitarian interventions.

One of the major projects highlighted was the $10 million integrated housing development in Gaduwa, Abuja.

The project combines residential facilities with a health clinic and school, creating a development model that links housing with access to essential social services.

Yakubu expressed the Nigerian embassy’s readiness to support the organisation through diplomatic clearances and coordination with relevant government agencies, with a view to facilitating similar projects in other parts of the country.

He said the partnership demonstrated Qatar Charity’s commitment to Nigerian communities and could further strengthen development cooperation between Nigeria and Qatar.