Tinubu Hosts German President Steinmeier at Aso Rock

ABUJA- President Bola Tinubu welcomed German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja on Wednesday morning.

Steinmeier, who arrived in Abuja on Tuesday evening, met with the President at the Villa's forecourt at about 11:06 a.m. (local time) Wednesday.

He is accompanied by a business delegation of CEOs and high-ranking board members from some of Germany's most important IT, high-tech, and energy firms.

When the German leader arrived, he was greeted with national anthems from both his country and Nigeria, followed by an inspection of the Presidential Brigade of Guards' Guard of Honour.

According to a statement made on Monday by the German Embassy, Steinmeier will meet with Tinubu and Dr. Alieu Touray, President of the Commission of the Economic Community of West African States.

Following that, he will travel to Lagos, where he will meet with business representatives, visit a start-up cluster, and speak with prominent figures from Nigeria's civil society and culture, such as Prof. Wole Soyinka and Dr. Nike Okundaye.

"There will also be a chance to explore Lagos and learn about the urban growth of a megacity, including social and environmental issues," the statement said.

Steinmeier is the third European leader to travel to Nigeria since the start of the Russo-Ukrainian War in February 2022 and the second German leader to do so in 14 months.

On October 29, 2023, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the nation for two days and spoke with business leaders in Lagos the next day.