The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has announced that its “Naira 4 Dollar” remittance scheme will end on 30 June 2023. The policy, which was introduced in March 2021 to encourage the inflow of foreign currency, will no longer be in operation as from 1 July, it said. Under the scheme, the CBN pays out a reward of N5 for …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany e.V. will hold its annual general meeting (AGM) virtually on 17 June in Berlin. The event will also feature the election of a new Executive Committee to run the affairs of the group, which is the umbrella body for Nigerians living in Germany, for the next two years. Originally planned as a hybrid …

Five years after the release of ‘Luyando’, Zimbabwe’s most celebrated musical export have returned with their long-awaited follow-up album ‘Tusona: Tracings in the Sand’, released on 7 July by Munich-based Outhere records. Like anywhere in the world Africa’s musical output has become more and more producer based. Mokoomba, however, are the living proof that Africa’s great guitar band heritage is …

As a measure against the shortage of skilled workers in Germany, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze (SPD) wants to focus more on immigration. “In the search for skilled workers, we should pay more attention to developing countries,” Schulze told the Funke Mediengruppe. Many of these countries face the challenge of creating enough jobs for their young, …

Around 168,500 people were granted German citizenship in 2022 – an increase of 28 percent compared to the previous year, the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden has reported. It’s the highest number of people who applied for and were granted German nationality in a single year in the past two decades. Syrian nationals accounted for the largest share of naturalisations …

Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has commended Ambassador Zubairu Dada, the outgoing Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, for making the job easier for the management of the Commission. Ms Dabiri-Erewa made the comment when she led a delegation of Management Staff of NiDCOM on a farewell visit to the minister’s home in Abuja. She noted …

There is enough work, but often there is a lack of skilled workers. That is the situation across Germany. The state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, governed by a CDU-Green coalition, has therefore launched a “skilled labour offensive”, as already agreed in their coalition agreement. To combat the shortage of skilled workers, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), one of Germany’s 16 federal states, …

Nigerians living in Europe under the aegis of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organization Europe (NIDO-Europe) have congratulated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his assumption of office. In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Dr Bashir Obasekola, and General Secretary, Michael Otogo, the organisation pledged its total support to the new leader, who was sworn into office as the 16th …

Like almost every month, June 2023 brings some important changes for people living in Germany. Find out here which concrete changes, including new laws, are coming and what you have to prepare for. —— Refunds for rail delays to become more complicatedOn 7 June, a new EU passenger rights regulation will come into force by law. Consumer advocates criticise that …

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn into office on Monday as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria at a colourful ceremony in the country’s capital city of Abuja. Tinubu, who succeeds Muhammadu Buhari, had won a tough presidential election on 25 February, beating Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party. …

The British government has announced measures to restrict the ability of international students to bring family members to the UK in order to reduce net migration to the country. The move comes as official statistics are expected to confirm that net migration rose to more than 700,000 in the year to December 2022. The new visa restrictions, announced on Tuesday, …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Worldwide (NIDO WW) has congratulated the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on the confirmation of her reappointment by the Nigerian Senate. President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier reappointed Ms Dabiri-Erewa to a second 5-year term, a decision that was approved by the upper chamber of the National Assembly on Tuesday. A …

Germany has opened its first embassy in the Gambia. Until now, the presence of the German Federal Foreign Office in The Gambia was limited to a Liaison Office as part of the German Embassy in Dakar. The event took place on 17 May and was marked with a diplomatic reception. To honour the milestone, Minister of State in the German …

A landmark event in the industrialisation of Africa took place on Monday, when the continent’s largest oil refinery was commissioned in Lagos. Witnessed by five African heads of states, the opening of Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals is being greeted continent wide as another evidence that things are looking up for African development. Built by Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, …

On Tuesday 23 May 2023 the High Court will hear an application by the Bodo Community in Nigeria to proceed to trial with their claim for clean-up of oil spills from Shell pipelines in 2008. The spills caused the largest loss of mangrove habitat in history of oil pollution and 15 years after those spills clean-up is still not complete. …

The Theatre Arts and Motion Pictures Practitioners Association of Nigeria (TAMPAN) will launch its German branch on 26-27 May in the city of Kassel. Among others, the Executive Council of the group will be unveiled and its programme of activities in Germany will be presented during the 2-day event, which will also feature a networking session and discussions on business …

Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Executive Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has hailed the strategies employed by Ireland to engage the country’s diaspora as offering a good example for Nigeria’s sustained engagement with its own diaspora. Dabiri-Erewa made the comment when she received Irish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Peter Ryan, in her office in Abuja on Thursday. She …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany e.V. will hold its annual general meeting (AGM) virtually and in-person on 17 June in Berlin. The hybrid event will also feature the election of a new Executive Committee to run the affairs of the group, which is the umbrella body for Nigerians living in Germany, for the next two years. “Members of …

Last year, more than 13,000 people failed the German-language tests required for reunification with their spouses living in Germany. Failure rates were particularly high in African countries. Critics say the language requirements are too stringent and are hindering people from exercising their right to family life. According to a new report by the news agency Evangelischer Pressedienst (epd), 13,607 people …

Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled with a trade delegation to Ethiopia and Kenya from 4 to 6 May 2023. Many important issues, including combating climate change, current conflicts in the continent and economic cooperation, were discussed in his meetings with with political leaders as well as representatives of the business community, civil society and culture. A special report on the Chancellor’s …