On Monday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock is due to visit Nigeria’s crisis-torn north-eastern region to get an idea of the security situation there.
On the first day of her two-day trip to the West African country, the Green politician plans to fly from the capital Abuja to the city of Maiduguri, some 800 kilometres away. The region in the state of Borno is considered a stronghold of the Islamist terrorist militia Boko Haram.
Baerbock wants to visit a camp near Maiduguri where former fighters and supporters of Boko Haram are being reintegrated into everyday life.
Boko Haram and the Islamic State Province of West Africa group are responsible for serious attacks with numerous fatalities.
She also plans to visit a village that was destroyed by terrorists in 2015. The aim of the reconstruction project there, which is funded by Germany, is to enable people to return, to create prospects for staying and to rebuild state structures such as police stations, schools and hospitals. This is intended to remove the breeding ground for terrorism.
In the morning, Baerbock plans to visit Abuja to learn about the work of the Skills Academy of the Association of Nigerian Construction Companies. With German support, dual vocational training is offered there for carpenters, bricklayers and plumbers, among others. The institution thus makes a contribution to combating youth unemployment.
Nigeria is about two and a half times the size of Germany and, with 220 million inhabitants, the most populous country and the largest democracy in Africa.
It is also the continent’s strongest economy and largest oil producer. Nigeria also plays a role in the German government’s hydrogen strategy.
