German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Sunday that Germany is totally down to invest in gas and critical minerals in Nigeria, which is Africa’s biggest oil producer. Scholz is currently on a visit to sub-Saharan Africa, marking his third visit to the region in two years. This visit comes at a time when conflicts in other parts of the world have highlighted the increasing importance of this energy-rich region, where Germany has not traditionally been involved. During a joint briefing with Nigerian President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, Scholz expressed his willingness to invest, particularly in critical minerals. He also praised Nigeria’s efforts to expand its LNG capacity and stated that if there is a better chance of exporting the produced gas, German companies should definitely get in on the action. Tinubu, on the other hand, had a deep discussion on the issue of gas and encouraged German businesses to invest in pipelines in Nigeria. In addition to gas, Nigeria is also looking to attract investors to its underdeveloped mining sector, which currently contributes less than 1% to the country’s GDP. Scholz mentioned that German companies are also interested in building railways in Nigeria, a sector that is currently dominated by Chinese companies. During his visit, Scholz also met with the president of the commission of the West African regional group ECOWAS and emphasized the need to work together to prevent military coups from becoming a trend, following recent coups in Niger and Gabon.