Macron to Visit Nigeria Later This Year, French Envoy Says

French President Emmanuel Macron will pay a state visit to Nigeria this fall, the French Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Marc Fonbaustier, has announced.

Fonbaustier disclosed this on Tuesday night while addressing guests at the celebration of France’s National Day in Abuja. He described the planned visit as a significant step toward strengthening the strategic partnership between Nigeria and France.

The ambassador said the visit will come two years after President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Paris in November 2024. According to Fonbaustier, both leaders will use the occasion to review progress on their bilateral roadmap and outline priorities for future cooperation.

“Together, our two Presidents will assess the progress of our roadmap and outline the key elements of our relationship for the years to come,” Fonbaustier said. “These will undoubtedly be ambitious and mutually beneficial for our two peoples.”

Fonbaustier said the relationship between the two countries is built on equality, mutual respect and partnership without interference. He added that France, through the French Development Agency (AFD), is already working with Nigeria on agricultural projects to boost food security in northern Nigeria and across the ECOWAS region.

On security, the ambassador said Nigeria and France remain committed to jointly combating terrorism and strengthening regional security capabilities.

Fonbaustier also spoke about Macron’s personal connection to Nigeria. He said the French president’s outlook on Africa was shaped in part by a 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,” he said.

Exact dates for the visit have not yet been released.

Tinubu’s November 2024 trip to Paris was the first state visit by a Nigerian leader to France in more than two decades. That visit focused on cooperation in agriculture, security, education, health, innovation and energy transition, with both governments citing Nigeria’s position as France’s leading trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa.

Macron’s renewed engagement with Nigeria also comes as France seeks to rebuild influence in Africa following the loss of ties with former allies Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, whose military governments broke from Paris after coups between 2020 and 2023.

Officials from both countries are expected to hold further talks in the coming months as preparations for the visit continue.