German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has been received at the Aso Rock Villa by President Bola Tinubu.
Although Steinmier arrived in Abuja on Tuesday evening, he met the President on Wednesday.
Accompanying him were business delegation of CEOs and high-ranking board members of some of Germany’s most successful companies in the fields of IT, high-tech and energy.
Steinmeier is the second German leader to visit Nigeria in the last 14 months.
Earlier in October 2023, specifically 29th, German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, visited the country for his two-day working visit where he met business leaders in Lagos a day after.
The visit has also been two-way with Nigeria’s President, Tinubu attending the G20 ‘Compact with Africa Economic Conference’ last year’s November at the instance of the German leader’s’ invitation.
The German leader who was welcomed with Nigerian anthem, also carried out an inspection of the Guard of Honour mounted by the Presidential Brigade of Guards.
After the 21-gun salute, Tinubu led Steinmeier into his office for closed-door talks.
The German Embassy in a statement earlier said Steinmeier would meet with Tinubu as well as with the President of the Commission of Economic Community of West African States, Dr. Alieu Touray.
He is then expected to proceed to Lagos State, where he will engage with business representatives, visit a start-up hub and meet with members of Nigeria’s cultural sector and civil society.
Notably, he is expected to meet Dr Nike Okundaye and Prof Wole Soyinka.
The statement by the agency also noted that during his visit, he will tour the city of Lagos and gain insights into the urban development of a megacity, “including environmental and social challenges,”
Nigeria has had a long history with Germany as far back as 1978 when then-Chancellor Helmut Schmidt visited Nigeria.
In November 2008, former President Umaru Yar’Adua received German President Horst Koehler in Abuja.
Also, the immediate past Chancellor, Angela Merkel, was the first head of state beyond the shores of Africa to visit Nigeria after Goodluck Jonathan’s election in 2011.