Nigeria, Germany agree to boost cooperation in security, energy

By Fatma Zehra Solmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz agreed in a phone call Wednesday to deepen ties between their countries and expand cooperation in security, energy and railway development.

Bayo Onanuga, Nigeria's special adviser to the president on information and strategy, said in a statement that the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening relations between their countries.

The two leaders also expressed their countries’ readiness to collaborate in the creative arts and skills development sectors.

They discussed the Presidential Power Initiative, a partnership between the Nigerian government and Siemens AG initiated to modernize Nigeria's electricity grid, with Tinubu noting that Nigeria would need support in strengthening its power transmission capacity.

Merz said Siemens was prepared to provide assistance while Deutsche Bank was willing to finance the project.

The two leaders also expressed concern over the security situation in the Sahel region. Tinubu called for the provision of used helicopters to support intelligence and reconnaissance operations in the area.

"The Sahel corridor is bad and needs our support. Intelligence support reconnaissance is needed," he said.

Onanuga also highlighted that diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Germany have spanned about 65 years.

According to the statement, Merz said Germany was looking forward to the arrival of Nigeria’s new ambassador in Berlin. He also highlighted the significance of the arts and called for the establishment of a Great Museum of African Arts as part of cultural cooperation between the two countries.