Germany pledges €10m support for Nigeria’s fight against terrorism
Germany has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s fight against insecurity, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul warning that the spread of militant activity in the Sahel region poses a growing threat to coastal West African countries.
Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday after meeting Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Wadephul announced that Germany would provide €10 million ($11.4 million) this year to assist with the return and reintegration of people displaced from areas previously controlled by Boko Haram and Islamic State-linked groups.
He said extremist organisations affiliated with Islamic State and al-Qaeda have expanded their operations across parts of the Sahel, particularly in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, raising concerns over worsening instability in the region.
“The effects of the Sahel crisis are increasingly posing a threat to all coastal states in the region,” Wadephul said, describing Nigeria as a key player in efforts to combat terrorism and violent extremism.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed the importance of continued international cooperation in tackling terrorism, violent extremism, organised crime and other security challenges affecting West Africa.
The two ministers also discussed ways to strengthen economic relations between Germany and Nigeria.
Wadephul, who was making his first official visit to Nigeria, described the country as a strategic partner for Germany, highlighting its position as West Africa’s largest economy and a major political force within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He noted that trade between the two countries increased by about 10 per cent last year, making Nigeria Germany’s second-largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, with more than 100 German companies currently operating in the country.
Source: Reuters
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