Germany’s financial commitment to the ECOWAS sub-region has been pegged at €500 million, The ECOWAS Commission President, Omar Touray, noted this yesterday. The commitment cover areas such as insecurity, infrastructure and other social challenge plaguing development in the area.
Touray said that Germany is currently committing the whopping sum of €81 million in addressing climate change, Energy Transition, Economy and other germane issue across West African States. He made this known during a press conference held yesterday in Abuja when welcoming the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz.
The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz, who was enthusiastic about the sustainable and fruitful German-ECOWAS partnership, frowned at the recent chains of coup across west African State, noting that maintaining peace is critical in West African state at the moment.
He stressed that “There have been six coups in West Africa since 2020, with the latest coming in July when the Republic of Niger’s army deposed and detained President Mohamed Bazoum.” He added “The situation of peace and security is important at these critical times, and we value the peace that the region enjoyed before the coup in the ECOWAS region.”
Earlier, Dr. Omar Touray, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, emphasized that the Chancellor’s visit symbolized the significant importance attached to Germany-ECOWAS cooperation..
“We talked about the challenges that the region is facing, insecurity, infrastructure deficit, and social development, and we’ve agreed to continue to work in those areas. Our regions are closely linked and what happens in one area affects the other, and we appreciate what Germany is doing individually and as well as through the European Union supporting this region. We are particularly, appreciative of the partnership that we continue to enjoy with Germany and the EU,” he added.
It would be recalled, that the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz arrived in Nigeria on Sunday, 29th of October, in a two-day trip aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Germany and the Sub-Saharan region. While in Nigeria, Chancellor Scholz met President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and ECOWAS Commission President, Dr. Omar Alieu Touray in Abuja.
He will also proceed to Lagos where he will open a Nigeria-German Business Conference organized by the Nigerian-German Chamber of Commerce. In Lagos, he will interface with representatives of Nigerian Civil Society as well as with Nigerian start-up entrepreneurs.
