German President Steinmeier meets with Tinubu in closed-door talks at Presidential Villa

On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, President Bola Tinubu and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier are holding a private meeting at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The German leader is in Nigeria for a state visit, marking another important chapter in the 60-year diplomatic relationship between Nigeria and Germany.

Steinmeier arrived in Abuja on Tuesday evening and was warmly welcomed by President Tinubu on Wednesday morning at the Villa’s Forecourt at around 11:06 AM. Following the reception, a brief ceremony took place, including the playing of both countries’ national anthems, a Guard of Honour inspection by the Presidential Brigade of Guards, and a 21-gun salute. After these formalities, the two leaders headed to the President’s office for their closed-door discussions.

Accompanying Steinmeier on his visit is a delegation of top executives from some of Germany’s leading companies specializing in IT and energy. During his stay, Steinmeier will meet with business leaders, visit a start-up hub, and engage with notable cultural figures such as Dr. Nike Okundaye and Nobel laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka. He is also scheduled to visit Lagos, where he will learn more about the city’s urban development, including the environmental and social challenges it faces as one of Africa’s largest cities.

This visit continues a long tradition of diplomatic ties between the two nations. Steinmeier is the second German president to visit Nigeria in the past 14 months, following Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s visit in October 2023. President Tinubu had also attended the G20 Compact with Africa Economic Conference, invited by Scholz, in November 2023.

Over the years, other German leaders, including Helmut Schmidt, Angela Merkel, and Christian Wulff, have visited Nigeria, deepening cooperation in energy, trade, and culture. Nigerian presidents, such as Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari, have reciprocated with visits to Germany.

After their private meeting, Tinubu and Steinmeier are expected to address the media, likely highlighting strengthened economic ties and mutual interests in sustainable development.