The German government has approved the second phase of its collaborative project aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s chambers of commerce and enhancing youth skills development nationwide.
The initiative, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany (BMZ), seeks to position Nigeria’s chambers of commerce as major drivers of vocational training, entrepreneurship, and private-sector growth among young Nigerians.
Head of the Competence Centre Africa for the Giessen-Friedberg Chamber of Commerce, Dr Kristen Albrecht, announced the approval during a meeting with executives of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) in Abuja on Friday.
She noted that during the first phase of the programme, efforts focused on strengthening the capacities of NACCIMA, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), and the Ogun Chamber of Commerce, enabling them to better serve their member companies.
Albrecht explained that they worked closely with the LCCI to establish an innovation hub and business centre in Ikeja, Lagos, where youths can enhance their skills and receive entrepreneurial support.
“For the second phase, we plan to enlarge the innovation hub and install tech hubs where qualification courses will be held for young Nigerians seeking more skills, especially in information technology, so they can either stay and work in Nigeria or be prepared to work abroad,” she said.
She added that the next phase would also focus on fostering German-Nigerian economic ties, including joint fair participation and a trade fair calendar featuring two trade missions annually between Nigeria and Germany.
Albrecht further announced the launch of a new platform, “The World Meets in Giessen,” designed to bring together small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for an annual B2B conference that uses AI-facilitated business matching to secure partners and investments.
Also speaking, the CEO of Giessen Chambers of Commerce, Dr Matthias Leder, said the collaboration is aimed at empowering Nigeria’s chambers to become engines of economic growth.
He said, “The B2B conference, scheduled for June 8 to 10, 2026, in Germany, is a valuable platform for Nigeria’s SMEs to gain international exposure and attract technology and investment to support their growth.”
Leder praised the partnership with NACCIMA on dual vocational training and encouraged the association to deepen the programme across Nigeria.
In his remarks, NACCIMA President, Engr Jani Ibrahim, said the longstanding relationship between the Nigerian and German chambers was now being consolidated to create global opportunities for young Nigerians.
“It is a relationship that has started well, and we are consolidating it to train young Nigerians and make them marketable globally through vocational skills,” he said.
He explained that vocational training under the programme would enable legal labour migration and help curb illegal migration by equipping youths with employable skills.
Ibrahim also highlighted NACCIMA’s partnership with the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) to train and facilitate the export of skilled Nigerian artisans to international markets.
The first phase of the German Collaboration Project, launched in 2021, formed part of Germany’s broader Skills for Youth Employment Programme, which promotes vocational education, apprenticeships, and business competitiveness in African partner nations.
The initiative trained thousands of young Nigerians in technical fields and strengthened links between public and private institutions.
The German-Nigerian partnership aligns with Berlin’s Compact with Africa framework, which supports sustainable job creation, trade facilitation, and private-sector development across the continent.
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