By Progress Godfrey, Abuja
Nigeria is intensifying its engagement with German investors to secure deeper collaboration in technology transfer, skills development, and legal migration — key drivers of the country’s ambition to achieve a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
This was the focus of discussions on Wednesday in Abuja as the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, received a high-level delegation from the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) Giessen-Friedberg, Germany, led by CEO Mathias Leder.
Bagudu said Nigeria’s growth trajectory hinges on private-sector-led innovation, vocational training, and strong international partnerships. He highlighted reforms underway in education, the digital economy, and youth skills development aimed at aligning Nigerian talent with global labour market needs and attracting foreign manufacturing and technology investments.
He emphasised the country’s competitive advantages — including its large population and expanding domestic market — while calling for strengthened ties with German firms to boost industrial output and entrepreneurship.
On migration, the minister made a firm pledge.
“We are eager to demonstrate more success. We Nigerians want to assure everyone that we are more committed to stopping illegal migration because we believe our young men and women can participate in lawful migration, to the extent that that’s what they want,” Bagudu said.
He stressed that the government is committed to creating opportunities at home while supporting structured, legal migration pathways backed by international cooperation.
Bagudu added that Nigeria wants to leverage Germany’s technological expertise and highly skilled workforce to drive mutual growth.
“Our president has challenged all of us to generate a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Most of this growth is to come from the private sector. We want German companies — small, medium, and big — to play a bigger role in Nigeria. We want our entrepreneurs to link up with German ecosystem technologies, skilled manpower, and know-how,” he said.
The minister also disclosed that the upcoming National Development Plan (2026–2030) will integrate strategic international partnerships, noting that the ministry is mapping the opportunities in thousands of political wards across the country to guide investments.
“This ministry is leading an effort to understand the unique opportunities in each of those wards and see how we can use them to generate more growth and prosperity. At the root of it will be know-how, innovation, and technology,” he said.
On the German side, CEO of IHK Giessen-Friedberg, Mathias Leder, said bilateral engagements have already begun yielding results.
He cited the successful business-to-business conference held in Germany, where Nigeria presented the largest delegation among 14 participating countries and drew significant investment commitments.
Leder also highlighted a pilot programme on legal labour migration, involving 18 Nigerian youths currently undergoing German language certification and preparing to join dual vocational training programmes in Germany.
He announced that a major international B2B investment conference will hold on 9–10 June 2026, with Nigeria invited to showcase priority sectors and bankable projects to global investors.
The delegation also outlined programmes to support women entrepreneurs, as well as expanded pathways for skilled Nigerian workers to access training and employment opportunities in Germany.
“It is a high-level conference where you will meet ministers, ambassadors and CEOs of major companies — an excellent opportunity for Nigeria to attract global investment,” Leder said.
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