Germany’s Consul General in Lagos, Daniel Krull, has announced plans to strengthen relations between Germany and Nigeria through faster visa processing, expanded trade, and enhanced collaboration in education and the creative industries.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Krull said the consulate was increasing capacity to serve Nigerians applying for business, study, and travel visas, with the goal of “substantially cutting down waiting times.”
“We are currently processing more than 10,000 visas per year,” he said. “With new counters and additional personnel, we hope to speed up the processing of applications.”
He added that new service providers would soon handle certain visa categories, and a verification system for academic diplomas—first introduced in India—would be adopted to accelerate student visa approvals.
Krull noted that Nigeria remains Germany’s largest trading partner in West Africa, second only to South Africa on the continent, adding that Germany hopes to attract more IT companies to collaborate with Nigerian professionals.
The consul general disclosed that a delegation of German IT firms will visit Nigeria in late November, while representatives from Germany’s movie industry are already in Lagos to explore film production and legal cooperation.
“This is the first outreach from Germany’s movie sector to Nigeria,” he said. “They want to learn how this dynamic industry works and identify opportunities in production quality and equipment.”
He also reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to academic and scientific partnerships, citing a recent workshop in Ogbomoso focused on genomics, health, and climate change.
“We have many strong universities in both countries,” Krull said. “I hope to help foster even closer cooperation.”
Highlighting ongoing cultural collaboration, Krull expressed excitement over the upcoming opening of the Museum of West African Art in Benin City, which Germany supported with a €6 million grant.
On the creative sector, he said Germany aims to help Nigerian creators gain fair access to financing and royalties through global platforms.
“Our biggest support is helping creators gain their royalties by connecting with YouTube, Google, and Netflix,” Krull explained.
Krull further emphasized Germany’s support for renewable energy solutions, noting Siemens’ active role in Nigeria’s power sector.
Addressing migration, he encouraged Nigerians to pursue legal migration routes through education and training, stating that Germany’s aging population requires skilled labor.
“We encourage Nigerians to invest in training rather than risky irregular migration,” he said.
Krull concluded by stressing that Germany prefers a “bottom-up” model of cooperation—starting with partnerships between individuals and private entities before formal government agreements.
“You don’t start with two governments agreeing,” he said. “Once a critical mass of cooperation is achieved, governments can then formalize it.”
He expressed confidence that the growing business and creative exchanges would mark the beginning of a stronger, long-term partnership between both nations.
