Chancellor Merkel, at a joint press briefing with visiting President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria in Berlin, noted that while countries like Syria have migrants as a result of war, Nigeria’s migration is as a result of economic crisis.
This is why, she said, her country is interested in offering vocational and educational training to young people.
“My point in this is that we need to see to it that human traffickers are out of business; we have to strengthen legal migration to also create jobs in Nigeria, jobs possibilities for vocational training, possibilities in education. Also in the context of migration partnership, we will also talk about re-admission agreement.
“Germany has hundred’s of people who will have to be returned to Nigeria and our first interest will be how to help the young people to get job or find a job.”
She commended President Buhari’s effort in fighting corruption, crime and terrorism in Nigeria, adding: “You see first the successes of this policies and you also see great readiness of partners in ECOWAS and in the region to participate in this good fight and this good course.
“Today’s exchange made our relationship closer. There is great potential we still need to tap and particularly in this difficult time, we want to stand by your side.
“Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and has great potentials for economic progress and this current crisis due to low oil price has to be overcome so that your GDP can be boosted and not in decline as is the case right now.”
On German government’s effort to help Nigeria recover stolen funds, Merkel said: “Well, I do appreciate him and if he has any indication as to where those funds are, we will obviously immediately follow up. Anything the president indicates to us in this respect, we will take up. We want to fight corruption with him.
“Our foreign minister for example, has been instrumental in establishing international exchange. Our finance minister has worked on this as well, so in the future, it will be very difficult to get money out of the country to hide them. We will work together with you on this.”
Merkel promised that her country would inject 18 billion euros for Lake Chad Basin region and 50 billion euros for the overall area in a bid to recharge the Lake Chad.
Merkel said that the Lake Chad region is of great priority to Germany and that Nigeria is part and parcel of the region.
“In terms of cooperation, we said we will earmark 18 billion for lake Chad region area and 50 billion for the overall areas.
“The Lake Chad region is in alarming situation. There are 11 million people displaced, some of them are starving there. Only 10 per cent of the Lake Chad is left, which obviously erodes source of livelihood.
“The President has in his delegation, the governor whose province is ravaged by Boko Haram. We are gratified to note that there have been progress in combating them.” [myad]
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