Nigeria, Germany Move To Deepen Trade, Security and Investment Ties
As global uncertainty drives countries to strengthen strategic alliances, Nigeria and Germany have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in trade, investment, security, renewable energy and regional stability.
This was the focus of bilateral talks on Wednesday in Abuja between Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and Germany’s Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, Johann Wadephul.
Welcoming the German delegation, Odumegwu-Ojukwu described Germany as one of Nigeria’s most important strategic partners in Europe, highlighting decades of collaboration in diplomacy, development, education, renewable energy, science, technology and peacebuilding.
She said Nigeria was implementing reforms to improve the investment climate and invited more German businesses to invest in priority sectors including renewable energy, manufacturing, agriculture, digital technology, critical minerals and transport infrastructure.
The minister also praised Germany’s support for ECOWAS, saying stronger international partnerships were essential to addressing terrorism, violent extremism, climate change, food insecurity and other shared global challenges.
In his remarks, Wadephul noted that Nigeria and Germany have maintained a strategic relationship for more than 65 years, recalling that Germany opened its embassy in Lagos just three days after Nigeria gained independence in 1960.
He disclosed that bilateral trade between both countries increased by 10 per cent last year, describing Nigeria as Germany’s largest bilateral trading partner in Europe.
He said the Nigeria-Germany Business Forum would continue to strengthen commercial ties and expressed confidence that more German investors would enter the Nigerian market following his visit.
The German foreign minister also reaffirmed his country’s commitment to supporting ECOWAS in tackling terrorism and violent extremism across the Sahel while pledging closer collaboration with Nigeria to deepen their longstanding partnership.
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