Germany's Foreign Minister to visit Nigeria

The German Foreign Minister, Johann Wadephul, is set to visit Nigeria for a two-day official engagement aimed at strengthening diplomatic, economic and security cooperation.

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According to a statement issued by the German embassy in Nigeria, Mr Wadephul will be in Nigeria on Tuesday and Wednesday, 21-22 July.

Mr Wadephul is on his third trip to the continent this year. He had visited Ethiopia and Kenya in January and then Morocco in April.

On this trip, the minister will be accompanied by a delegation comprising German parliament members, CEOs, and high-ranking board members of German IT and energy companies.

Their first stop will be in Abuja, where Mr Wadephul is expected to meet with the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Omar Touray, and Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

“The Foreign Minister will participate in a business roundtable with representatives from German and Nigerian companies, highlighting the growing economic partnership between both countries and exploring opportunities for increased trade and investment and meet with civil society representatives and cultural practitioners,” the statement read.

The second stop will be in Lagos, where the minister will focus on strengthening economic and cultural ties.

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The embassy described relations between Germany and Nigeria as one based on “strong partnership based on mutual respect and common interests.”

“As Africa’s largest economy and one of Germany’s most important partners on the continent, Nigeria plays a key role in addressing global challenges ranging from sustainable economic development and energy transition to regional peace and security,” it noted.

Germany is the European Union’s largest economy and one of its most influential member states, playing a leading role in shaping the bloc’s policies on trade, development cooperation, climate action and foreign affairs.

It is also among Nigeria’s key European trading partners and a major contributor to development programmes across Africa.

Mr Wadephul’s present visit is a three-nation diplomatic tour. The minister is moving from Mauritania to Nigeria and then to South Africa.

His frequent visits to Africa over the last seven months reflect Berlin’s efforts to deepen its engagement with the continent.

It also reflects Europe’s search for stronger partnerships on energy, trade, and regional stability.

It comes amid Europe’s waning influence in the Sahel, particularly with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES): three West African countries that experienced successful military coups and ditched close relations with the West to get closer to Russia.

France’s fallout with the AES nations had particularly affected the supply of uranium, a crucial resource for European nuclear power plants. Before the coup, Niger was one of the main exporters of uranium to Europe, supplying about a quarter of its total imports.

However, in 2024, the Junta-led state, under Abdourahamane Tchiani, nationalised its uranium and revoked the operating licence of Orano, a French nuclear fuel producer, at one of the world’s biggest uranium mines. Naimey ordered the company out of Somair, Cominak and Imouraren, the three main mines in the country. The order came about a year after the Junta evicted French soldiers and shut down French military bases in the country.

However, Mr Wadephul, ahead of his trip, said Africa and Europe are linked by “political, economic and security ties.”

He also stated that reliable cooperation with Africa is crucial to Europe amidst the “global geopolitical upheaval.”