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President Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and collaborate on security, power, and railway projects, the Nigerian Presidency announced on Wednesday.
The two leaders held a telephone conversation in the afternoon, during which they also expressed interest in cooperation on creative arts and skill development, according to Bayo Onanuga, in a statement.
President Tinubu brought up Nigeria’s need for help with power transmission during the Presidential Power Initiative discussion.
Chancellor Merz pledged that “Siemens would be ready to assist in that regard, while Deutsche Bank would be willing to finance the project.”
The leaders also discussed security concerns in the Sahel region.
Tinubu called for the supply of used helicopters to help in intelligence reconnaissance in the region.
“The Sahel corridor is bad and needs our support. Intelligence support reconnaissance is needed,” Tinubu was quoted as saying.
The conversation also touched on diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Germany, which have existed for more than 65 years.
Chancellor Merz noted that his country is awaiting the arrival of Nigeria’s new ambassador to Germany.
The German Chancellor further stated the importance of the arts and suggested establishing the Great Museum of African Arts.
The telephone conversation began at 2:01 p.m. and concluded around 2:10 p.m., according to Onanuga.
