During an official state visit to Germany, President Muhammadu Buhari called for closer economic ties. But faced with an economic downturn in Nigeria, German companies point to major hurdles to investment, reports Naomi Conrad. In the end, it took two attempts: As Chancellor Angela Merkel struggled to pronounce Muhammadu Buhari’s name at a joint press conference in Berlin, the Nigerian …

The youth empowerment initiative to promote educational achievement in the African community in Germany holds its annual award ceremony in Hamburg on 15 October 2016 in the historic building of the city’s Chamber of Commerce. The annual African Youth Education (AYE) Awards aim to motivate young people of African origin in Germany to seek excellence in school. The scheme was …

  President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria begins a three-day (13-15 October) official visit to Germany today. He is expected to hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel on issues of shared interests between Nigeria and Germany, including co-operation on security, the humanitarian situation of internally displaced persons and rehabilitation of the North-East ravaged by Boko Haram insurgency, as well as trade …

German chancellor Angela Merkel and her foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier have been visiting Africa at the same time. Top of their agendas were migration, security and investment. German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier described Nigeria as the “powerhouse” of Africa as he embarked on his one day trip to the country. Nigeria was not only rich in natural resources, but also the most …

Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel has called on African leaders to stop migration to Europe and fight back against Islamic extremism. She vowed to help with development aid and military equipment to ensure peace and prosperity in Africa. Germany will also make Africa a priority of Germany’s G20 presidency in 2017. Merkel visited Mali, Niger and Ethiopia during a three-day tour, …

Nelly Sarpong, Berlin-based Ghanaian-born writer, bemoans human trafficking and what we as individuals can do to combat this modern-day slavery. Imagine going to a supermarket and seeing human beings on the stands with barcodes on them, being sold and resold as commodities. Imagine human beings being auctioned to the highest bidder. Imagine human beings as puppets being at the mercy …

Habte Hadgu (61), a travel agent, is the proprietor of Red Sea Travel & Tours, Heidelberg. “I came to Germany in 1978 to study. Previously, I was studying at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. One of my fellow students who later became very famous was Meles Zenawi (the late Prime Minister of Ethiopia). He was in his second year while …

Amid the gloom of recession and a tightening of belts in the homeland, Nigerian academics, business people and other professionals met with German companies to discuss ways of forging ahead in Hamburg, reports Michael Nnaji. Nigerians living in Germany gathered in the port city of Hamburg recently to parley on what the great Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe once described as …

A $3.4 billion Chinese-built railway linking the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the port city of Djibouti has opened, a boost to both African countries’ economies and an important milestone for Chinese investments in Africa. The new 750-km line, which completely replaces a long-defunct French line built in the early 20th century, will reduce travel time between the two cities …

Under US pressure, the UN refuses to lift an embargo against the tiny nation of Eritrea, while ignoring constant aggressions by its huge neighbour, Ethiopia, writes Dr Fikrejesus Amahazion. The UN has abrogated its responsibility to uphold international law – and, instead, coddles Washington’s military ally, he argues. During one of his debates with Socrates, Thrasymachus alleges that “justice is …