French President Emmanuel Macron will undertake a State visit to Nigeria this fall, the French Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier, has announced, describing the trip as an opportunity for both countries to review their growing strategic partnership and chart a new course for future cooperation.
Fonbaustier made the announcement while delivering his address at the celebration of France’s National Day on Tuesday night in Abuja.
Revealing what he described as a scoop, the ambassador said Macron’s visit would come two years after President Bola Tinubu’s State visit to Paris.
“Secondly, a scoop. I am pleased and honored 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.”
The envoy said the relationship between Nigeria and France was founded on equality, stressing that both countries regarded each other as partners of equals.
“In a chaotic world searching for meaning, I would like to talk to you about values. I would like to focus on the three values that accompanied the birth of the French Republic: Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity,” Fonbaustier said.
“First and foremost, Equality. I say this, and I say it with pride, that the partnership between Nigeria and France is, in reality, not just in words, a partnership between equals.”
Fonbaustier noted that both countries shared the common goals of economic and social development, job creation, and environmental protection. He highlighted recent commercial partnerships between Carrefour and HyperCity, Accor and Shoreline, as well as Canal+’s acquisition of MultiChoice, saying the collaborations reflected growing economic ties.
On democracy and governance, he said Nigeria and France remained committed to democracy, the rule of law, freedom of expression, and equal opportunities for women and men. He added that the French Embassy continued to support women, young people, and persons with disabilities to promote their economic and social empowerment.
Speaking on security, he said Nigeria and France shared a commitment to strategic autonomy and the global fight against terrorism. “Our two countries have repeatedly demonstrated this, through their unfailing and resolute commitment to the global fight against terrorism,” he said.
Fonbaustier also disclosed that Macron’s vision for Africa was shaped in part by his six-month stay in Nigeria as a student 24 years ago.
“The new relationship between Africa and France was, in some way, born in Nigeria or ‘Made in Nigeria’. Because a young man, Emmanuel Macron, spent six significant and formative months in this country while he was a student, 24 years ago. He himself admits that this foundational experience inspired the broad outlines of his vision for the continent and his African diplomacy,” he said.
