Germany

Due to the decreasing incidence of the new coronavirus infections in Germany, the federal and state governments have agreed on a step-by-step plan to relax restrictive measures in force. After a meeting on Wednesday between Chancellor Olaf Scholz and the premiers of the Laender, a three-step plan with the removal of the vast majority of restrictions which should bring Germany …

A new library in honour of Theodor Wonja Michael will be opened on Saturday 19 February in Cologne as part of activities marking this year’s Black History Month. The Theodor Wonja Michael Library was set up by the Afro-Diasporic association Sonnenblumen Community Development Group e. V. Michael, who died in October 2019 at the age of 94, was one of …

Dr Frank-Walter Steinmeier has been re-elected for a second term as the President of Germany. The Federal Assembly confirmed the 66-year-old Social Democrat in Berlin on Sunday with a large majority. He will thus remain Germany’s head of state for another five years. After his re-election, Steinmeier gave a combative speech in which he emphasised the strength of democracy, condemned …

NIDO Germany has successfully participated in the pilot phase of a project to integrate the organisation and returning experts into the advisory structure of the Nigerian-German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (NGC) on regular migration. The NGC, run by the GIZ and which operates in Abuja, Benin-City and Lagos, provides advisory services to prospective migrants as well as conducts …

Like at the beginning of every new month in Germany, new regulations come into force in February. These affect, among others, deadline for the submission of tax returns, validity of the EU vaccination certificate and new rules on hate online. Here’s overview of the most important changes: ——– Validity of EU vaccination certificates From 1 February, the validity of EU …

Africa is a huge market of the future! More and more German companies are becoming active in African countries. But how do they acquire the necessary know-how to successfully do business in the African market? That is exactly the focus of the 7th German-African Business Forum NRW, holding virtually on 16 February 2022. Under the motto “Africa Business 2022: global …

The German Development Cooperation here in Abuja, Nigeria, has a field of action called Business Ideas for Development. Their main aim is to support Nigerian professionals in Germany who are interested in starting a business in Nigeria

The minimum wage and Hartz IV rate will rise in the new year just as postage rates and the prices of petrol and diesel will go up. New regulations on plastic shopping bags and beverage cans and plastic bottles enter into effect as well. Here are some of the changes most likely to affect most people living in Germany —– …

Céphas Kosi Olatidoye Bansah, the Togbe Ngoryifia of the Hohoe Gbi Traditional Area, Ghana, has been living in Germany since 1970. After he was named chief of the 300,000-strong community of Ewe-speaking people in 1992, Bansah chose to continue living in Germany instead of returning home. The master agricultural machinery mechanic and master motor vehicle mechanic, who is better known …

In view of the high infection figures and the new coronavirus variant omicron, the federal states are again tightening their coronavirus pandemic containment rules. From 28 December, an upper limit of ten persons, usually aged 14 and over, will be in force in all federal states. This applies, for example, for private meetings at home or in public as well …

Maisha – African Women in Germany e.V. recently celebrated 25 years of its existence in Frankfurt. Maisha, which means “life” in Swahili, is a self-help organisation of African women in Germany founded in 1996 by Virginia Wangare Greiner. The occasion, attended by members as well as friends and partners of the organisation, was a milestone for self-organisation in the African …

In his first government declaration, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, following up on his election campaign promises, announced plans to make naturalisation easier and create more opportunities for more participation in society for people with a migration background. Germany is a country of immigration, now it must now become an even better country of integration, he added. —— Chancellor Olaf Scholz has …

About ten weeks after the Bundestag elections, the new Federal Government is in office. The Social Democrat Olaf Scholz has been elected as the new Federal Chancellor by the federal parliament. Carsten Hauptmeier introduces Angela Merkel’s successor. The social democrat Olaf Scholz heads the new governing coalition of the SPD, Greens and FDP as federal chancellor. Olaf Scholz, who already …

Like in every month, new laws and other changes enter into effect in December 2021. We have summarised the most important ones for you here. —- Prescription drugs become 20 cents more expensiveOn 15 December, a law comes into force that makes prescription drugs more expensive. The prices for pre-packaged medicines will generally increase by 20 cents. Deutsche Bahn Winter …

The first Nigerian-German Trade & Investment Expo will hold in Berlin on 12-13 May 2022. Making the announcement at the General Meeting of the Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany, held on 3 December, Femi Awoniyi, the group’s president, said the event would boost economic relations between both nations. Organised collaboratively by NIDO Germany and the Abuja-based The African Trade …

More and more refugees are becoming successful in appealing against a negative asylum decision. In the vast majority of cases, they are granted protection status by the courts. The Left party complains about “political pressure” on the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees. A growing number of refugees are successful in appealing against the rejection of their asylum application. In …

The labour force in Germany, the number of people who are potentially available to the country’s labour market, will decline in the long term due to demographic changes. Even with an increasing labour force participation rate of women and older people and an annual net immigration of 100,000 people, the labour force will decline from 47.4 million in 2020 to …

In view of the rising infection figures, the federal states and the federal government on Thursday agreed on far-reaching measures, which will enter into effect on 24 November and have adverse practical consequences for the unvaccinated. Soon only vaccinated and recovered people will be allowed into restaurants, cinemas, gyms etc. An overview of what the federal and state governments decided …

The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NIDO) Germany e.V. will launch a series of formal conversations on how the diaspora could have a more impactful effect on homeland development in December. The first edition of the ‘Development Roundtable’, as the series is called, will hold virtually on 4 December 2021, with the theme “Driving diaspora engagement towards the realisation of the …

In November 2021, Sangano Black Business Hub, a collective initiative from diaspora and Afro-German entrepreneurs in Germany, launched its annual survey for 2021/2022. The survey seeks to understand the entrepreneurship experience of Black-led businesses and start-ups in Germany and Europe. The survey asks a series of questions about entrepreneurship challenges, the scale of barriers to entry for new start-ups and …