The French government has pledged to return the remaining part of the money looted by Nigeria’s former military ruler, Sanni Abacha, to Nigeria.
The French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Ms. Catherine Colonna, made this promise on Friday, when she visited President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the State House in Abuja.
Ms. Colonna, who was in Nigeria for the first time, said that France had agreed with the US administration to release the frozen assets of Abacha and his family, worth 150 million US dollars, to Nigeria.
“I also informed President Tinubu that, in response to the request submitted by the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Justice, and in agreement with the US Administration that France will return to Nigeria the assets stolen from the Nigerian people by General Sani Abacha and his family, that have been frozen in France since 2021.
“We will start discussions with the Nigerian administration in order to allocate these 150 million US dollars to development projects benefiting the population, according to the priorities of the Nigerian government,” she said.
Ms. Colonna said that she came to Nigeria to reaffirm France’s commitment to enhance its bilateral cooperation with Nigeria in all areas.
She said that Nigeria, the “Giant of Africa” and the continent’s leading economy, was also France’s first trade partner in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Speaking further, she said that French investments in Nigeria had doubled in the last ten years and now exceeded 10 billion euros.
“In the economic sector, we have greatly reinforced our partnership over the last years, but we can and want to go even further. Nigeria, the « Giant of Africa », the continent’s leading economy, is also France’s first trade partner in Sub-Saharan Africa.
“French foreign direct investments in Nigeria have doubled over the last ten years and now exceed 10 billion euros. More than 100 French companies are already working here.
“They do not simply sell French products: they invest in Nigeria’s economy, creating jobs (10 000 jobs as we speak), factories, farms and vocational training centers. Our goal for the coming years is to further increase these investments in Nigeria, but also the investments of Nigerian companies in France.” she said.
