Nigeria and France on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to deepen cooperation across trade, security, education, and culture, pledging to explore mutual opportunities built on decades of strong diplomatic relations.
Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, disclosed this in a statement by Magnus Eze, her Special Assistant on Communication and New Media.
The announcement followed her meeting in Abuja with the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted that diplomatic relations between the two countries had flourished since Oct. 1, 1960, with particularly strong collaboration in counter-terrorism, trade, and cultural exchange.
“Nigeria is France’s largest trading partner in sub‑Saharan Africa and one of the largest global suppliers of hydrocarbons,” she said.
She lauded the personal rapport between President Bola Tinubu and President Emmanuel Macron, noting it had strengthened the bilateral relationship.
The minister also confirmed Nigeria’s readiness to implement several Memorandums of Understanding signed during President Tinubu’s state visit to France in Nov. 2024, covering energy, infrastructure, and education.
Additionally, she urged France to facilitate investment platforms for Nigerian banks, including Access Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank, and UBA, to expand into the French financial market.
She also sought France’s continued support in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism and in backing Nigerian candidates in international organisations.
Fonbaustier affirmed that France and Nigeria share a “strategic mirroring effect” in their ideals of sovereignty and self-reliance.
He lauded President Tinubu’s economic reforms, such as forex unification and the removal of fuel subsidies, as creating fresh investment opportunities in agriculture, renewable energy, ICT, and the creative sector.
He announced plans for a major cultural exhibition in Lagos in Oct. 2025 celebrating the legacy of Afrobeat legend Fela Anikulapo Kuti.
He also confirmed preparations for the “Forum Creation Africa,” a joint cultural event featuring more than 800 participants from both countries, set to take place in Lagos from 16–18 Oct. 2025.
However, Fonbaustier acknowledged concerns about negative perceptions of Nigeria in France due to media coverage of insecurity and crime.
He called for a shift in narrative to highlight the nation’s reforms and investment potential.
He extended an invitation to Odumegwu-Ojukwu to attend France’s National Day celebration in Abuja on 14 July.
