First Nigerian State Visit to France in 20 Years: Tinubu and Macron to Deepen Ties
Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu, is set for a two-day trip to France on Thursday.
This will be the first time a Nigerian leader will be making a state visit to France in over 20 years.
The political climate in francophone African nations has changed negatively for France with coups and other events meaning France will need to shore up its influence in the continent by seeking new alliances.
French President, Emmanuel Macron, views the scheduled meeting with President Tinubu as a good sign of a possible long-term working relationship between both nations.
Tinubu and Macron are billed to meet at the “Franco-Nigerian Business Council”, a forum aimed “to develop new partnerships between the economic players in both countries,” a statement from the French President’s office read.
Recall that Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, all francophone nations have now come under military rule.
The new leaders of these African nations do not believe France mean well for their country with relations now soured.
Nigeria, in turn, are in dire need of economic investment from foreign nations and France looks a good deal.
Nigeria and South Africa remain France’s leading trade partners in Africa.
