German Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development visits Nigeria

The German Federal Minister of Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze, and the Parliamentary State Secretary , Dr. Bärbel Kofler, is visiting Nigeria from 4 to 7 February 2024.

The visit is to strengthen the bilateral relations between Germany and Nigeria in the area of development cooperation.

This was disclosed in statement released by the German Embassy in Nigeria.

The focus of the visit will be on bilateral meetings with the Nigerian Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and the Nigerian Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite.

The German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development is responsible for planning and programming the guidelines and the fundamental concept on which German development policy is based.

The ministry is also the main commissioning partner of the German development agency GIZ.

According to the statement , with diplomatic relations spanning over 60 years, Germany and Nigeria have a longstanding relationship. They are natural partners as both are the strongest economy and the most populous country on their respective continents. It is therefore crucial to address current global challenges together.

The visiting Minister will also meet with the President of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Dr. Alieu Omar Touray to discuss the situation of development cooperation in West Africa.

The Parliamentary State Secretary, Dr. Bärbel Kofler, will also visit Lagos, the economic hub of Nigeria to visit projects at the University of Lagos and to hold discussions with the Lagos State Government on current challenges and possible cooperations.

The statement also noted that, Minister Svenja Schulze will be travelling in her capacity as President of the Sahel Alliance.

The Sahel Alliance is an international cooperation platform to provide more and better support for development initiatives in the Sahel region.

The objective of the Sahel Alliance is, through more than 1300 different projects, to enhance the stability and global development of the region and to provide more effective support in the areas of youth employment, climate and energy, governance, decentralisation and basic services, food security and agriculture, and security.

Hauwa Abu