As war spreads across the Gulf, Nigerian tech workers in Qatar choose to stay

As the conflict in the Gulf has escalated this month, many Nigerian tech workers based in Qatar say they will remain in the country despite rising regional tensions. More than a thousand people have been killed in Iran, including its Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the fighting has produced strikes on neighbouring states, attacks on oil depots and constrained movement through the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to spikes in oil prices. In Qatar — where expatriates make up nearly nine out of every ten residents and at least 7,000 Nigerians live — government measures and everyday continuity have persuaded some African professionals to stay put. Find more insights at Intelpoint.

“I wasn’t really scared because everything was being intercepted”

Bella, a Nigerian who works in the IT team of a bank and has lived in Qatar for five years, said: “I wasn’t really scared because everything was being intercepted, and on the first day, we had started getting the alerts.” She described remaining calm and continuing to work remotely while authorities sent routine emergency alerts directly to residents’ mobile phones.

Khadijah Amusat, a Nigerian entrepreneur who has lived in Qatar for two years and is building a startup, described the emotional strain but credited local social networks for support: “It has definitely been emotionally overwhelming at times, especially living alone and being far from family. But the support from friends here and constant check-ins from loved ones back home have helped a lot.”

Contextual details underline why many have chosen to stay. Governments moved quickly to reassure residents after the initial strikes: emergency contact details for foreign embassies were circulated, supermarkets were instructed to remain open 24 hours to prevent panic buying, prices remained stable, and most people returned to work the following day. Last year’s strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities and Iran’s retaliatory targeting of the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar are recent reminders of the vulnerability of the region, but the Qatari government’s communications and visible continuity have so far limited disruption for many expatriates.

• At least 7,000 Nigerians live in Qatar, according to sources in the community.
• Qatari authorities issued emergency alerts to residents’ phones and provided the Nigerian embassy contact for consular support.
• Supermarkets were ordered to stay open 24 hours and prices remained largely stable after the initial attacks.
• Some foreign governments evacuated thousands of citizens, but many African tech workers in Qatar have chosen not to leave.

Not all support has come from official channels. Bella and Amusat say they have not received direct communication from Nigerian officials; Bella saw only a memo circulating on social media and declined to register because the email address provided was generic. Instead, community networks and local government coordination have become primary sources of reassurance. As Bella put it to family back home: “Well, I tell them I’m okay so they know I’m fine. I’ve assured them that the government is ensuring everyone is okay, even for visitors.”

Outlook: While both women acknowledge the risk that the conflict could escalate, they said returning to Nigeria is not an option except as a last resort. Encouraged by expanding government support for technology startups and the economic stability they have experienced in Qatar, many African tech workers in the Gulf are maintaining their plans to work or build ventures — at least for now — even as the region faces heightened uncertainty.