Tinubu receives German President Steinmeier at Aso Rock Villa.
President Bola Tinubu received German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday morning.
Steinmier, who arrived in Abuja on Tuesday evening, met the president at the villa's courtyard at about 11:06am (local time) on Wednesday.
He is accompanied by a business delegation comprising CEOs and senior board members of some of Germany's most successful IT, high-tech and energy companies.
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Upon arrival, the German leader was greeted with the playing of his country's anthem and the Nigerian national anthem, followed by an inspection of the guard of honour mounted by the Presidential Guard Brigade. After the 21-gun salute, Tinubu took Steinmeier to his office for a closed interview.
In a statement released on Monday, the German embassy said Steinmeier will meet Tinubu as well as the chairman of the Economic Commission of West African States, Dr Alieu Touray.
He will then travel to Lagos, where he will speak to business representatives, visit a start-up center and meet members of Nigeria's cultural sector and civil society, such as Dr. Nike Okundaye and Professor Wole Soyinka.
"There will also be an opportunity to visit the city of Lagos and gain insight into the urban development of a megacity, including environmental and social challenges," the statement said.
Steinmeier is the second German leader to visit Nigeria in 14 months and the third European leader to visit the West African nation since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war in February 2022. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the country on October 29, 2023 for a two-day working visit, during which he met with business leaders in Lagos the following day.
At Scholz's invitation, Tinubu attended the G20 Compact with Africa Economic Summit last November.
Wednesday's meeting continues more than six decades of diplomatic relations between the two countries, maintained by high-level visits dating back to 1978, when Chancellor Helmut Schmidt visited Nigeria.
In November 2008, former President Umaru Yar'Adua hosted German President Horst Koehler in Abuja.
In addition, former Chancellor Angela Merkel was the first head of state from outside Africa to visit Nigeria after the election of Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. In 2016, President Christian Wulff's visit to Nigeria resulted in the signing of several agreements in sectors such as energy, trade and culture.
Nigerian leaders have also visited Germany.
In November 2003, President Olusegun Obasanjo visited the European giant.
President Jonathan also visited Germany for a three-day working visit in April 2012.
In his first trip to a non-African country, President Buhari attended the 41st G7 Summit in Elmau. During this period, the two countries have concluded several agreements and bilateral cooperation, particularly in the field of energy and electricity.
Of particular note is the agreement that President Buhari signed in 2019 with German energy company Siemens to produce at least 25,000 megawatts of electricity for Nigeria's power grid by 2025.
Nigeria has also leveraged Germany's expertise in renewable energy, including solar and wind, which benefits from technology transfer and capacity building.
In 2022, Nigeria exported €1.9 billion worth of oil to Germany, according to the United Nations' COMTRADE international trade database.
Germany also exported goods to Nigeria, worth €1.1 billion, with machinery and electronic components being the largest imports. Tinubu and Steinmeier are expected to address the press after the closed-door talks.
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