Nigeria and Germany have concluded negotiations on the renewed framework for bilateral cooperation, paving the way for the agreement’s signing in Abuja today.

The framework, negotiated on behalf of Nigeria by senior officials from more than six Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), led by the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, and by Germany’s Embassy in Nigeria and the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, covers development cooperation across agriculture, energy, healthcare, governance, skills development, and private-sector development.

Speaking at the opening of the negotiations, the Leader of the Nigerian delegation, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, said that Nigeria’s partnership with Germany was entering a new phase centred on economic transformation, mobilising private capital, sustainable infrastructure, the energy transition, youth empowerment, and long-term resilience.

He described Germany as one of Nigeria’s most trusted and enduring development partners, noting that more than five decades of cooperation had delivered measurable impact across agriculture, healthcare, renewable energy, vocational education, migration governance, and enterprise development.

He stated that both countries were repositioning the partnership to respond to emerging global realities by prioritising innovation, enterprise, investment, and economic competitiveness.

The global development landscape is becoming increasingly complex, shaped by economic pressures, geopolitical uncertainties, climate-related challenges, and shrinking development finance. These realities make strong, trusted partnerships even more important,” the minister said.

Bagudu highlighted the importance of the successful Nigeria–Germany Binational Commission held in Berlin in November 2025, describing it as a defining moment that strengthened bilateral cooperation across foreign policy, security, energy, trade, migration, culture, and development.

He also praised the recently concluded Nigeria–Germany Business Forum in Lagos, which brought together leading Nigerian and German business executives to unlock new commercial opportunities and deepen investment ties between the two economies.

According to Bagudu, President Bola Tinubu’s administration is implementing bold structural reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda to reposition Nigeria’s economy for sustainable growth and long-term macroeconomic stability.

The reforms, he explained, include foreign exchange liberalisation, enhanced domestic revenue mobilisation, strategic investments in infrastructure and human capital, and expanded fiscal decentralisation, all of which have significantly strengthened the financial capacity of state governments.

He disclosed that improved fiscal allocations and reform-driven economic restructuring had expanded opportunities for subnational investment partnerships and enhanced states’ creditworthiness across the federation.

The minister further revealed that the Federal Government, through the National Economic Council chaired by Vice President Kashim Shettima, had reached key agreements with state governments to coordinate reforms, sustain economic momentum, improve security collaboration, eliminate illegal economic activities, expand infrastructure financing through private capital, and strengthen social inclusion initiatives.

He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to advancing a just and inclusive energy transition through expanded electricity access, decentralised energy markets, and renewable energy investments, citing ongoing collaboration with Germany through initiatives such as the Nigeria Energy Support Programme and the Energy Transition Challenge Fund, implemented by GIZ and KfW.

In her remarks, Germany’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms Annett Günther, described Nigeria as a strategic African partner, noting that its leadership within ECOWAS and the African Union remains critical to regional peace, economic integration, and democratic stability.