Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz held a nine-minute phone conversation on Wednesday to discuss strengthening cooperation in security, electricity, and infrastructure, according to a statement from Tinubu’s office on Thursday, reported by Reuters.
During the call, the two leaders talked about restarting a stalled presidential electricity initiative involving Siemens.
The project, originally agreed upon in 2019, was designed to rehabilitate Nigeria’s transmission lines and power distribution substations.
Funded by German banks, the agreement aimed to deliver 7,000 megawatts of reliable electricity by 2021 and increase that to 11,000 megawatts by 2023.
However, the plan has faced regulatory, logistical, and financing setbacks.
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Tinubu told Merz that Nigeria needs support to upgrade its power transmission network.
According to the statement, Merz assured him that Siemens would carry out the work and that Deutsche Bank is prepared to finance the project.
The leaders also discussed security concerns, particularly the worsening insecurity in the Sahel region, which is spreading southward toward coastal West Africa.
Tinubu requested that Germany supply Nigeria with used helicopters to strengthen reconnaissance and intelligence operations in the region.
Nigeria and Germany have maintained diplomatic relations for 65 years.
Beyond security and power, both leaders agreed to expand cooperation in rail transport, creative industries, and skills development.
The statement added that Merz expressed support for plans to establish a Museum of African arts, although no further details were provided.
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Image Credit: Bloomberg
