Odimmegwa Johnpeter/Abuja
The Federal Government of Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening bilateral relations with Germany, with renewed emphasis on economic cooperation, food security, industrial development, investment, skills acquisition, renewable energy, and sustainable job creation.
The commitment was highlighted during a high-level meeting in Abuja between Nigerian government officials and a delegation from the German Bundestag Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development, led by Prof. Wolfgang Stefinger.
The meeting gave both countries an opportunity to review existing areas of cooperation, exchange perspectives on economic reforms, and explore new opportunities for mutually beneficial development partnerships.
The Nigerian delegation comprised Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu; Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari; Minister of State for Industry, Senator John Enoh; Minister of State, Dr Doris Uzoka Anite; and the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Deborah Odoh.
The discussions underscored Nigeria’s longstanding relationship with Germany, grounded in mutual respect, constructive dialogue, and a shared commitment to inclusive and sustainable economic development.
In his remarks, Senator Bagudu emphasised the need to deepen Nigeria–Germany relations through increased trade, investment, technology transfer, and development cooperation.
He expressed Nigeria’s appreciation for Germany’s continued support via development partners and international financial institutions. He noted that both countries, as federal states, have valuable experience to share in economic management, governance, and institutional development.
Senator Bagudu emphasised the need to strengthen cooperation across agriculture, vocational education, renewable energy, industrial development, and the creative economy.
He also stressed the importance of promoting peace, security, democratic governance, and sustainable migration management as essential to long-term economic progress.
He noted that stronger economic partnerships and productive investment would create employment, raise incomes, and promote shared prosperity in both countries.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Kyari, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening food security and transforming Nigeria’s agricultural sector.
He highlighted efforts to boost local food production, reduce food imports and post-harvest losses, expand irrigation, improve access to agricultural finance and modern technologies, and promote climate-resilient farming.
The minister also emphasised the need to empower smallholder farmers, women, and young people through mechanisation, research, and agribusiness opportunities, noting that higher agricultural productivity would create jobs, strengthen rural economies, and drive sustainable economic growth.
Minister of State for Industry, Senator Enoh, reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to diversifying Nigeria’s economy through manufacturing, industrialisation, entrepreneurship, digital innovation, and the creative economy.
He emphasised the importance of industrial policy, investment promotion, and technical and vocational training to create jobs and strengthen local industries, and commended Germany, particularly GIZ, for its support for skills development and institutional capacity-building.
Senator Enoh highlighted opportunities to support SMEs, expand the creative industries, and strengthen Nigeria–Germany cooperation, thereby empowering young people, attracting investment, and driving sustainable economic growth.
Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Uzoka-Anite, appreciated Germany’s continued support for Nigeria’s economic reforms and development priorities. She emphasised the importance of industrialisation, agricultural development, infrastructure investment, and youth empowerment to create jobs, boost productivity, and reduce irregular migration.
She called for sustained development financing and stronger partnerships with German institutions, including financing arrangements modelled on Germany’s KfW framework, to promote inclusive growth and sustainable economic development.
Speaking on behalf of the German delegation, Prof. Stefinger thanked the Nigerian government for its hospitality and reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.
He highlighted sustainable economic development, vocational training, security, renewable energy, and healthcare infrastructure as key areas of interest. He also acknowledged Nigeria’s economic potential and noted that both countries could benefit from sharing experiences in implementing economic reforms.
He expressed optimism about deepening the longstanding Nigeria–Germany partnership to advance sustainable development and mutual prosperity.
The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Deborah Odo, welcomed the German delegation and commended Germany’s continued support for Nigeria’s development priorities, such as agriculture, renewable energy, skills development, and institutional capacity-building.
She reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation and to aligning joint programmes with national development priorities to deliver sustainable benefits for citizens.
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