The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, has expressed the federal government’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation with Germany.

Mr Bagudu said this when a delegation from the IHK Giessen-Friedberg Chambers of Commerce and Industry paid a courtesy visit to his office in Abuja on Thursday.

He said part of President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda was encouraging private-sector investment.

He commended the delegation for the visit and reiterated the federal government’s commitment to growing the Nigerian economy.

Earlier, a member of the delegation, Lai Mohammed, said the meeting underscored the shared commitment of both countries to fostering sustainable economic development through enterprise-driven partnerships.

Mr Muhammed, a former Minister of Information, said that small and medium enterprises were widely recognised as the backbone of any economy.

He said Nigerian SMEs still needed access to more finances, global market exposure, and capacity building.

He said bridging these gaps required collaboration with international partners with a shared vision for inclusive economic growth.

He said the initiative was designed to integrate key aspects of Germany’s renowned dual vocational training system into Nigeria’s workforce development.

Matthias Leder, president of the IHK Giessen Chamber of Commerce and Industry, invited Bagudu to the annual global economic stakeholders conference in Davos, Switzerland, from May 20 to 22.

Mr Leder said the event aimed to shape the global economy’s future and provide a platform for SMEs to engage, network, and explore opportunities for growth beyond borders.

He said the conference served as a bridge between global investors and small businesses, creating pathways for cross-border trade, technology transfer, and business expansion.

He said the idea of the world meeting was to have low entry barriers, just to cover the most important costs and be open for companies from all over the world.

(NAN)