French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed his planned state visit to Nigeria, which was scheduled for later this month.
According to reports, Macron was earlier scheduled to visit Nigeria on October 28 and 29.
A source in the French presidency told TheCable on Friday that the visit had been postponed as France grapples with widespread protests and unrest.
The country has recently experienced demonstrations over rising living costs, public services and school conditions. Protests on October 17 escalated into violence in several cities, with buildings set ablaze and shops looted.
French authorities are preparing for another wave of demonstrations on Saturday.
A Nigerian official familiar with the matter also told TheCable that France’s domestic situation was a factor in the decision to postpone Macron’s visit.
“A president will not travel when his home is contending with internal combustion,” the official said.
Nigeria and France maintain cordial diplomatic relations, with cooperation covering trade, energy, security and investment.
In November 2024, Macron hosted President Bola Tinubu on a three-day state visit to France. The two leaders discussed finance, energy transition, solid minerals, trade and investment, communications and other areas of cooperation.
Macron’s planned trip to Nigeria was expected to build on agreements reached during Tinubu’s visit to France.
The French president, whose second and final term ends in May 2027, has maintained close relations with Tinubu since the Nigerian leader assumed office in 2023.
Tinubu has visited France at least nine times since taking office, undertaking official engagements, working holidays and private trips.
Macron last visited Nigeria as French president in July 2018, when he met the late former President Muhammadu Buhari and toured the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos.