Outgoing German Chancellor wishes Buhari greater success

Outgoing German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, has felicitated President Muhammadu Buhari, wishing him greater successes in the challenging task of leading Nigeria and her about 200 million people.

Mr Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, confirmed this in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

The presidential aide said President Buhari was in a telephone call on Thursday with outgoing German Chancellor, who initiated the chat to pay compliments and to say thank you to the Nigerian President.

President Buhari had concluded his address at the 76th edition of the UN General Assembly in New York last week saying:

"Let me close my statement by paying special tribute to a great and humane internationalist, and an exemplary practitioner of multilateralism and cooperation.

"I am speaking of Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Federal Republic of Germany. As she exits the stage, we wish her well.''

Merkel thanked President Buhari for his kind words and felicitation.

Adesina said President Buhari was full of appreciation for the cooperation Germany showed Nigeria, and the ECOWAS sub-region at large.

The Nigerian leader particularly mentioned the support for the project to recharge Lake Chad, through inter-basin water transfer, which would alleviate the plight of about 30 million people.

President Buhari also applauded Merkel's initiatives on rehabilitation of refugees, and help for developing countries.

He said Nigerian companies of German descent like Julius Berger, Siemens, and others, were doing well in Nigeria, adding that the Federal Government was doing a lot to improve infrastructure.

On the security situation in Nigeria, the president said a lot was being done to stabilise things at this difficult period, thanking all the countries that had given helping hand, including Germany.

President Buhari, who also spoke on agriculture and food security during the chat with Merkel, said much had been achieved in the sector, leading to stoppage of massive food importation.