Nigerian governors on vocational training in Germany | Benue to partnerwith Germany.

Nigeria and German officials and German business executives met at a historic business conference in Berlin yesterday to seek areas of cooperation in agriculture, mining, renewable energy, vocational and technical training of rural youth in Nigeria.


Hon. Minister of Justice, A. Malami who spoke on the legal frame work for the protection of foreign investments in Nigeria assured his hosts that the constitutional provision for ownership of private business was still in place. Citing the relevant sections of the constitution the minister assured both German officials and the business of the nation's determination to stamp out corruption and ensure accountability and integrity in the conduct of public business.

Contributing to the discussion, Governor Samuel Ortom who was represented by his senior special assistant on diaspora affairs attributed the prevalence of insecurity in Nigeria to corruption and glaring inequalities, pointing out that youth only became recruitable by insurgents and criminal elements when they could not get gainful employment.

Governor Ortom who praised German technology and their business successes in Nigeria cited Julius Berger construction company as a shining example.

Ortom challenged German technology experts to take advantage of the virgin nature of Benue state to invest in agriculture, power and vocational training of rural youth. 

Responding, Muller the Assistant minister for economic development who stood in for the Minister assured the delegation of the preparedness of the German government to cooperate with Nigeria in the areas of agriculture, vocational training and renewable energy, stressing that projects of such nature were already ongoing in other parts of Nigeria and Africa. The assistant minister was emphatic that given the right security atmosphere in Nigeria, Germans were ready to start foundation work for the discussions within six months.