Nigeria plays a decisive role promoting stability and democracy in the region and has major economic potential. For Germany, the country is a central global partner, with high-level political meetings being held regularly. Foreign Minister Wadephul’s most recent visit to Nigeria was in July 2026. There have been bilateral relations in the field of German development cooperation since 1974. The German-Nigerian Binational Commission, which was founded in 2011, serves as a format for dialogue to deepen and expand bilateral cooperation and last convened at a meeting in Berlin in 2025 chaired by the Foreign Ministers. The Commission addresses topics including business, energy, foreign and security policy, migration and culture in four working groups.

Nigeria is Germany’s second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa. The German business sector has been represented in Nigeria since 1983 by an office of the German Chambers of Commerce Abroad. A very wide range of major German companies, such as Siemens Energy, BASF, SAP and DHL, are active in Nigeria. One priority of bilateral economic relations is cooperation in the energy sector.

The German-Nigerian energy partnership, which has been in place since 2008, was expanded in 2021 in line with the Federal Government’s National Hydrogen Strategy with the opening of a Hydrogen Office in Abuja.

With a funding volume of over 710 million euro, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) are mainly working in the following sectors in Nigeria: sustainable economic development, including vocational training and employment; rural development; renewable energy/the climate; conflict prevention and peace; health.

In the fight against terrorist threats, the German Government is assisting with training and equipping the Nigerian security forces and contributing to cross-border stabilisation projects.

As regards cultural relations with Nigeria, the return of the first Benin Bronzes in 2022 by then Foreign Minister Baerbock marked a new chapter. The Goethe-Institut has had an office in Lagos since 1962. Since 2025, German language classes have also been available at the Goethe-Institut in the capital Abuja. There is great interest in learning German. Many Nigerians are successful in applying for scholarships to study or conduct research in Germany. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung have offices in Nigeria.