German foreign minister in Nigeria for ECOWAS and bilateral talks

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is continuing his Africa tour in the Nigerian capital Abuja on Wednesday, with international security and stability topping the agenda. 

Wadephul is first scheduled to meet Omar Alieu Touray, president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). He is then due to hold talks with his Nigerian counterpart Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with more than 240 million inhabitants, and one of its largest economies. 

President Bola Tinubu, 74, who is seeking re-election in early 2027, faces a severe security crisis that claims thousands of lives each year, as well as a difficult economic situation marked by inflation and widespread poverty.

Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer and relies heavily on revenues from crude oil exports. Despite this, many people struggle with poverty, high inflation and weak infrastructure. Many Nigerians move to other parts of the country or abroad in search of better opportunities. According to a representative 2024 survey, more than half of all Nigerians have considered emigrating.

The West African country is roughly two and a half times the size of Germany and is characterized by vast regional differences. It stretches from the economic hub of Lagos and the oil-rich Niger Delta in the tropical south to the dry north of the Sahel zone, where desertification, rising temperatures and violence are hampering development across many regions.