French President Emmanuel Macron will make a state visit to Nigeria later this year, French Ambassador Marc Fonbaustier announced during France’s National Day celebration in Abuja, a trip expected to mark a major milestone in the rapidly expanding relationship between the two countries roughly two years after President Bola Tinubu’s own state visit to Paris.
Addressing senior Nigerian officials, governors, lawmakers, diplomats and business leaders, Fonbaustier said the visit would let both presidents review progress under the Nigeria France roadmap and chart the relationship’s next chapter. I am pleased and honoured to announce that, two years after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s State Visit to Paris, the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, will travel to Nigeria for another State Visit this fall, he said, together, our two Presidents will assess the progress of our roadmap and outline the key elements of our relationship for the years to come, these will undoubtedly be ambitious and mutually beneficial for our two peoples. He described the relationship as a partnership between equals anchored on the republican values of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity, insisting France’s engagement is built on mutual respect rather than interference, and pointed to shared aspirations for economic growth, job creation, environmental sustainability and regional peace under the UN Charter.
The ambassador highlighted growing commercial ties, citing recent partnerships involving Carrefour and HyperCity, Accor and Shoreline, and Canal Plus’s acquisition of MultiChoice, and commended Nigerian billionaire Abdul Samad Rabiu’s initiative to establish a House of African Worlds in Paris as a symbol of deepening cultural cooperation, alongside expanding collaboration in youth development and creative industries, recalling Nigeria’s hosting of the Creation Africa Forum in Lagos, which drew thousands of African artists and entrepreneurs. He reaffirmed France’s support for democratic governance, the rule of law, free expression and gender equality, noting the French Embassy continues backing programmes for women, young people and persons with disabilities, and pointed to agricultural cooperation through the French Development Agency, particularly in northern Nigeria, where investment is improving value chains and market access in underserved communities.
Security featured prominently in the remarks, with Fonbaustier stressing both nations’ commitment to fighting terrorism across West Africa, calling Nigeria indispensable to regional peace and arguing the country needs a united ECOWAS to confront insecurity effectively, welcoming recent security cooperation between Nigeria and Benin against terrorist groups. The region needs a strong Nigeria, he said, Nigeria needs a united and mobilised region in the fight against terrorism. He placed the relationship within the wider context of Europe Africa cooperation, arguing both continents are increasingly working together on a rules based international order while addressing shared challenges like artificial intelligence, healthcare and ocean governance. In a lighter moment, he shared what he called a confession, that Macron’s own vision for Africa was partly shaped by six months he spent in Nigeria as a young student more than two decades ago, an experience the French president has often credited with shaping his understanding of the continent and influencing France’s African policy since. The planned visit is expected to build on the momentum from Tinubu’s 2024 Paris trip, where both countries agreed to deepen cooperation on energy transition, infrastructure, education, security, technology and investment.
