The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Worldwide (NIDO WW) has congratulated the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on the confirmation of her reappointment by the Nigerian Senate. President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier reappointed Ms Dabiri-Erewa to a second 5-year term, a decision that was approved by the upper chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday. A …

Germany has opened its first embassy in the Gambia. Until now, the presence of the German Federal Foreign Office in The Gambia was limited to a Liaison Office as part of the German Embassy in Dakar. The event took place on 17 May and was marked with a diplomatic reception. To honour the milestone, Minister of State in the German …

A landmark event in the industrialisation of Africa took place on Monday, when the continent’s largest oil refinery was commissioned in Lagos. Witnessed by five African heads of states, the opening of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is being greeted continent wide as another evidence that things are looking up for African development. Built by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, …

On Tuesday 23 May 2023 the High Court will hear an application by the Bodo Community in Nigeria to proceed to trial with their claim for clean-up of oil spills from Shell pipelines in 2008. The spills caused the largest loss of mangrove habitat in history of oil pollution and 15 years after those spills clean-up is still not complete. …

The Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) will launch its German branch on 26-27 May in the city of Kassel. Among others, the Executive Council of the group will be unveiled and its programme of activities in Germany will be presented during the 2-day event, which will also feature a networking session and discussions on business …

Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Executive Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has hailed the strategies employed by Ireland to engage the country’s diaspora as offering a good example for Nigeria’s sustained engagement with its own diaspora. Dabiri-Erewa made the comment when she received Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Peter Ryan, in her office in Abuja on Thursday. She …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany e.V. will hold its annual general meeting (AGM) virtually and in-person on 17 June in Berlin. The hybrid event will also feature the election of a new Executive Committee to run the affairs of the group, which is the umbrella body for Nigerians living in Germany, for the next two years. “Members of …

Last year, more than 13,000 people failed the German-language tests required for reunification with their spouses living in Germany. Failure rates were particularly high in African countries. Critics say the language requirements are too stringent and are hindering people from exercising their right to family life. According to a new report by the news agency Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd), 13,607 people …

Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled with a trade delegation to Ethiopia and Kenya from 4 to 6 May 2023. Many important issues, including combating climate change, current conflicts in the continent and economic cooperation, were discussed in his meetings with with political leaders as well as representatives of the business community, civil society and culture. A special report on the Chancellor’s …

The biggest African festival in Germany’s federal capital is 10 years old this year and its organisers have rolled out a programme to celebrate the anniversary in a big way. In addition to the Kenako Africa Festival on Berlin’s Alexanderplatz (20 – 30 July 2023), there will also be a Kenako Kids Festival (27 June – 2 July 2023) in …

The ADAN Career Day 2023 will take place for the 4th time in a row on 2 June at the IHK in Frankfurt am Main. This year, the Afro-German initiative, in partnership with Linkedin, pursues an important goal by aiming to consolidate its status as the largest hybrid career fair for BPoC (Black and people of colour) in Europe. More …

A majority of Germans think immigration brings more disadvantages than advantages, according to a new survey. Half of those polled said they’d like Germany to take in fewer refugees than it currently does. Sabine Kinkartz of DW reports German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, a Social Democrat, is calling for a change in the EU’s migration policy to limit refugee numbers. …

President Muhammadu Buhari has reappointed Dr (Ms) Abike Dabiri-Erewa for a second term as the Chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM). The notice of her reappointment was contained in a letter written by the President to the Senate requesting the Upper Chamber to confirm her reappointment. In November 2018, the President first named Ms Dabiri-Erewa as NiDCOM chair. She …

The African Network of Germany (TANG) has issued a statement on the mistreatment of a group of visiting four African pupils in the south-western German city of Mannheim recently. The police in the early morning of 27 April had stormed a flat where the four pupils were staying. The officers, who carried out the raid at gunpoint and with hooded …

Nigeria’s Minister of the Interior, Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola, has blamed corrupt officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) for the delays in the issuance of international passports to Nigerians. He made the revelation in response to the outcry of Nigerians, both home and abroad, over the difficulties they go through to obtain passports. Aregbesola, who was speaking at the opening …

A fire broke out on Wednesday at a building in the eastern German city of Halle (Saale) that houses the constituency office of Dr Karamba Diaby, an SPD Member of the Federal Parliament. The police suspects that the fire was deliberately set and a suspected perpetrator has been arrested. According to reports, witnesses noticed flames at the building in Große …

This year’s season of African music and culture in Germany is taking shape. Here are the Top Festivals you don’t want to miss before summer ends in 2023:———————————- Africa Festival Würzburg 26 – 29 May / Würzburg The International Africa Festival has been existing since 1989 and is the largest and oldest festival for African music and culture in Europe. …

There are many opportunities for startups in Germany. A few tips that will help you achieve success. —— Find a space for your ideas  For years, Berlin has also been regarded as Germany’s startup capital. Every year, more than 500 new businesses are launched there. However, cities in the Ruhr region, such as Essen or Dortmund, repeatedly top the German rankings because …

The Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has announced the launch of the first set of electric buses for the state’s mass transit scheme. He announced the development on his Instagram page on Sunday, as he shared pictures of the buses. Sanwo-Olu wrote: “I am excited to announce the first set of electric buses in the Lagos Mass Transit Master …

A 31-point communiqué released at the end of the two-day Global African Diaspora Symposium (GADS), which took place on 27-28 April in the Nigerian capital city of Abuja, details practical steps to drive an effective engagement between Africa and its Diaspora. The Communiqué, presented by the Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the event, Mrs Ibukun Odusote, said the African Diaspora …