Nigeria and Germany have agreed to expand strategic cooperation in the areas of security and infrastructure development, following a telephone conversation between President Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Wednesday.
The telephone conversation, which lasted approximately nine minutes from 2:01 p.m. to 2:10 p.m., focused on strengthening bilateral ties between Nigeria and Germany. The leaders discussed collaboration on security, power transmission, and railway development, and expressed readiness to expand cooperation in creative arts and skills development.
According to a statement issued by the State House, President Tinubu briefed the German leader on Nigeria’s Presidential Power Initiative and highlighted the country’s need for support to upgrade power transmission infrastructure.
“Nigeria is committed to strengthening its power infrastructure, and partnerships that support transmission capacity are critical to our development goals,” Tinubu said.
Chancellor Merz, in response, pledged that Siemens would be available to provide technical assistance, while Deutsche Bank indicated willingness to support the project through financing.
“Germany stands ready to support Nigeria’s power sector reforms through technical expertise and sustainable financing,” Merz said.
On regional security, President Tinubu raised concerns over the deteriorating situation in the Sahel region and called for enhanced intelligence and reconnaissance support to stabilise the area.
“The Sahel corridor is bad and needs our support. Intelligence support and reconnaissance are urgently needed to stabilise the region,” the President said.
The statement noted that diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Germany date back more than 65 years.
Chancellor Merz said Germany was looking forward to the arrival of Nigeria’s new ambassador and underscored the importance of cultural cooperation between both countries.
“Cultural exchange remains a powerful bridge between our peoples, and initiatives in the arts will continue to strengthen the longstanding ties between Germany and Nigeria,” he said.
He also proposed the establishment of a Great Museum of African Arts as part of efforts to deepen people-to-people relations.