Wadephul counts on Nigeria as economic partner on Africa trip

Economically, Wadephul sees considerable potential. "Whoever is not present in Africa today risks missing decisive opportunities," he warned. He pointed to Nigeria's dynamic start-up scene and cooperation in information technology. At the same time, he called on the German economy to be more flexible: "Everyone has to move. Everyone has to become more flexible. And that also applies to the German economy." Currently, around 80 German companies are represented in Nigeria, but new major investments have been rare in recent times.

Economy and Energy

Energy policy was another topic. Germany has been seeking additional energy suppliers since the Iran war. In June 2026 alone, a quarter of German kerosene imports came from Nigeria. A German-Nigerian energy partnership has existed since 2008, and a joint hydrogen office was opened in Abuja in 2022. China is an important bilateral trading partner for Nigeria and is investing heavily in infrastructure, mining, mobile telecommunications, and armaments.

In Lagos, Wadephul also met with influencers. The meeting was organized by the digital marketing company "Pulse Africa," which according to its own information reaches around 60 million followers across all platforms, primarily young people in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Senegal. "Pulse Africa" chief Katharina Link pointed out that business models cannot simply be transferred to Nigeria: "An online retailer modeled on Amazon would not automatically be successful here."

Meeting with Influencers in Lagos

German-Nigerian relations are embedded in a broader Africa strategy. Before Nigeria, Wadephul had visited Mauritania on Monday, and after that he travels on to South Africa. "Africa is a continent of opportunity for Europe," said Wadephul. He also warned: "Terrorism, violence, and instability threaten to spread further." Germany wants to prevent new major refugee movements to Europe through intensified security cooperation.

Stops in Mauritania and South Africa

In Mauritania, topics included possible supplies of liquefied gas and green hydrogen. There, Wadephul visited the "Mourchidates" project, which is building a network of female religious leaders with German support in order to deradicalize. He also announced support for the Mauritanian coast guard and said police advisory services were conceivable. Mauritania is regarded by Germany as a reliable partner in the Sahel zone, which is otherwise marked by terrorism and violence.

The country has around five million inhabitants and hosts more than 300,000 people who have fled neighboring Mali. At the press conference with his Mauritanian counterpart, the power went out four times in Nouakchott. The last visit by a German foreign minister to Mauritania was twenty years ago.

The trip is also accompanied by business representatives. With South Africa, which Wadephul is visiting on Thursday, the minister sees a "central anchor point" for the German economy. The country is of particular importance as "a determined advocate of multilateralism and the only African G20 member." South Africa has around 600 German companies and is by far Germany's most important trading partner in Africa.

The background to the trip is also the search for new partners to reduce dependence on China for rare earths, critical raw materials, and energy imports. Against the backdrop of the protectionist trade and tariff policy of US President Donald Trump, the German government is looking worldwide for new economic partners. Wadephul said that overlooking these opportunities "would be grossly negligent." He warned the German economy not to be deterred by the security situation in Nigeria: "I am confident that we can ensure an adequate security situation together with the police authorities here in the country."

For Wadephul, this is already his third Africa trip this year, following stops in Kenya and Ethiopia in January and in Morocco in April. The four-day tour ends in South Africa.