German Foreign Minister Wadephul urges business flexibility on Africa trip, eyes raw materials and energy ties

Meeting Nigeria's creative class

In Lagos, Nigeria's commercial hub, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul met with a group of young influencers: a musician, an entrepreneur from the cultural sector, and a filmmaker. When asked about Germany, they mentioned the Berlinale and Berlin Fashion Week. Wadephul said afterwards that Europe and Germany could learn a lot from the creative spirit of these influencers. He used the encounter to deliver a message to German business: more flexibility is needed when investing in Africa.

A continent of opportunity

The Lagos stop is part of Wadephul's third trip to Africa this year. He visited Kenya and Ethiopia in January and Morocco in April. The current tour, which began in Mauritania on Monday and will conclude in South Africa on Thursday, includes a delegation of German business representatives.

Anyone who is not present in Africa today risks missing crucial opportunities.

He added:

Everyone has to move. Everyone has to become more flexible. And that also applies to the German economy.

Nigeria: a market of 240 million

The German government is actively seeking new economic partners worldwide, partly in response to the protectionist trade and tariff policies of US President Donald Trump. Nigeria, with more than 240 million inhabitants, is Africa's most populous country, its largest internal market, and one of its biggest economies. A low average age makes it a promising future market. It is already Germany's second most important trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa after South Africa. Around 80 German companies are currently present in Nigeria, though no major new investments have been recorded recently.

Energy and raw materials

Reducing dependency on China for critical raw materials and rare earths, essential for future technologies, is another driver of the German outreach. Mauritania, which Wadephul visited on Monday, holds significant potential in this area, as well as in renewable energy and green hydrogen, according to experts. Energy is also the backbone of German-Nigerian economic ties. Nigeria is Africa's largest oil producer, and a bilateral energy partnership led by the German foreign ministry has been in place since 2008. A German-Nigerian hydrogen office was opened in Abuja in 2022. However, China is already a major player: it is an important bilateral trading partner for Nigeria, with growing investments in infrastructure, mining, mobile communications, and armaments.

South Africa as anchor

Wadephul will travel to South Africa on Thursday. With nearly 600 German firms, the country is by far Germany's most important trading partner in Africa, a "central anchor point" for German business, as Wadephul described it. He sees further opportunities there, particularly in the energy sector and raw materials.