France President welcomes President Tinubu in first state visit since 2000
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu began a two-day visit to France on Thursday, with both nations aiming to strengthen economic ties. The visit also serves to enhance Paris’s relations with English-speaking Africa, following recent setbacks with former allies on the continent.
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed President Tinubu at the historic Invalides memorial complex, marking the first official state visit by a Nigerian leader to France in over two decades.
The visit, which began with the playing of both national anthems in the courtyard of the iconic Paris landmark, focuses on fostering economic partnerships between France and Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.
Since his 2017 election, Macron has sought to renew France’s relationships with African nations, especially after a series of military coups and shifting attitudes that have diminished France’s influence on the continent.
The trip is “an opportunity to deepen the already dynamic relationship between France and Nigeria”, Macron’s office said.
The west African country is the continent’s leading oil producer and has a robust film industry, dubbed “Nollywood”.
But challenges posed by insecurity and corruption have left 129 million Nigerians — more than half the country’s population — living below the poverty line.
For Nigeria, which has been battling soaring inflation and food prices, the visit represents an opportunity to tap economic investment.
Nigeria was looking to build ties in “agriculture, security, education, health, youth engagement, innovation and energy transition,” Tinubu’s office said in a statement, adding that the president had landed in Paris on Wednesday evening.
He and Macron will also address “shared values concerning finance, solid minerals, trade and investment, and communication,” it added.
Paris’s shift toward strengthening ties with English-speaking Africa highlights President Macron’s effort to reverse France’s waning influence on the continent. His recent visits to Nigeria in 2018, South Africa in 2021, and Ethiopia in 2019 reflect this strategy.
France’s position suffered a significant blow when a wave of military coups between 2020 and 2022 took place in its former colonies—Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso.
These new military regimes, united in opposition to France, severed ties with the former colonial power and turned to Russia for support.
The three Sahel countries are grappling with severe jihadist violence, which began in northern Mali in 2012 and quickly spread to Niger and Burkina Faso by 2015.
“France’s leading trading partners in Africa are not French-speaking”, said Togolese economist Kako Nubukpo.
Nigeria was France’s number one trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, followed by South Africa, according to the French customs authority.
France still holds significant sway despite competition from China, India, and Turkey, said Alain Antil, a researcher in sub-Saharan Africa at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).
President Macron’s strategy in anglophone Africa highlights France’s interest in strengthening ties with countries like Nigeria, where the potential for economic growth is significant despite challenges such as insecurity and corruption.
The urbanization trend, which could add up to 700 million new city dwellers by 2050, and the rise of an emerging middle class across Africa, presents opportunities for French investment to help drive growth.
Nigeria, with its population of over 220 million, offers a promising market.
However, the northern region of the country has been affected by jihadist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), as well as armed criminal gangs, since 2009.
A diplomatic source noted that Nigeria desires a partnership of equals with France, particularly regarding human rights, and emphasized that the visit underscores this approach.
France also aims to strengthen ties with other countries, including Kenya and Zambia, at the upcoming 2026 Africa-France Summit.