Germany pledges stronger economic, academic, cultural ties with Nigeria
The new Consul General of Germany in Lagos, Mr. Daniel Krull, has pledged stronger cooperation between Germany and Nigeria across economic, cultural, and academic sectors.
Krull, who assumed office in August, made the pledge during a news conference at the German Consulate in Lagos on Monday. He described Lagos as Nigeria’s economic powerhouse and said he felt well-prepared for his new role, having previously served as Germany’s Ambassador to Ghana.
The envoy said one of his priorities is to strengthen people-to-people exchanges between both nations, adding that reforms are underway to improve visa processing and other consular services. According to him, the consulate handles over 10,000 visa applications annually and plans to double its visa counters to speed up processing.
He disclosed that external service providers would soon handle specific visa categories, while a new diploma verification system is being developed to streamline the process. “We are trying to serve our Nigerian customers better in future,” he assured.
Krull also emphasized Germany’s interest in boosting trade and investment, describing Nigeria as Germany’s largest trading partner in West Africa. He noted that increased commercial collaboration could yield greater mutual benefits for both nations.
Highlighting new areas of cooperation, Krull revealed that a German film industry delegation was in Lagos for the African Film Festival, marking the first outreach by German movie companies to Nigeria. The delegation, he said, includes filmmakers, intellectual property experts, and equipment suppliers exploring partnerships with Nollywood.
The Consul General added that Germany plans to expand scientific collaboration and strengthen partnerships between universities in both countries. He also reaffirmed Germany’s support for the Museum of West African Arts in Benin City, funded with about six million euros, which will host the Nigeria Imaginaries exhibition previously displayed in Vienna in 2024.
“There is a wide basket of promising areas of cooperation, and I hope to act as a facilitator across sectors,” Krull stated.
