The Consul-General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Lagos, Mr. Daniel Krulls, has announced plans to significantly speed up visa processing for Nigerians, targeting a maximum turnaround time of three weeks for all categories of visas.
Speaking at a media briefing to outline his priorities as the new Consul-General, Krulls said the move is part of a broader effort to strengthen economic, cultural, and educational cooperation between Germany and Nigeria.
According to him, the Lagos Consulate currently processes over 10,000 visa applications annually, but intends to increase capacity through a series of reforms designed to enhance efficiency.
“Our main objective as a consulate is to be a facilitator — helping people from Germany and Nigeria connect,” Krulls said. “One of the most important services we provide is the visa process, and we are expanding our office capacity to double the number of visa counters. With new counters and more staff, we aim to shorten processing times to no more than three weeks.”
He added that the consulate plans to partner with external service providers for certain visa categories and establish a verification system for academic diplomas to support faster processing for students.
Krulls explained that the document verification initiative had previously been piloted in New Delhi, India, where it successfully accelerated study visa decisions, and would soon be replicated in Nigeria.
Beyond visa reforms, the envoy expressed Germany’s interest in deepening collaboration in technology and the creative industries, highlighting opportunities for German IT companies to invest in Nigeria’s growing tech ecosystem.
He also noted that Germany is exploring film co-productions and other partnerships with Nigeria’s Nollywood industry, acknowledging the global influence of Nigerian cinema.
“Language barriers may have limited Germany’s presence in Nigeria’s film sector so far, but there’s significant room for improvement,” Krulls said, adding that Germany is ready to support Nigerian creatives in securing royalties from international streaming platforms such as YouTube, Google, and Netflix.
On cultural exchange, he revealed that both countries already run several people-to-people programmes, including a film workshop where young movie students from Germany and Benin City collaborate on joint productions.
Krulls reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to fostering stronger bilateral ties, describing Nigeria as a key partner in Africa’s social, cultural, and economic development.
