Nigeria, France Strengthen Bilateral Relations On Trade, Investment, Security

Nigeria and France have mapped out strategies on how to strengthen  cooperation in the critical areas of trade and investment security, education, culture and others.

This was contained in a statement issued  by Magnus Eze, special assistant on Communication and New Media, office of Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, stressing that both countries intend to explore mutual opportunities built on decades of strong diplomatic relations.

These  issues, according to the statement,  dominated discussions at the meeting between Nigeria’s  minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and the French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier at  Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.

Nigeria and France have enjoyed diplomatic relations since October 1, 1960, with strong collaboration in areas such as 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.

Odumegwu-Ojukwu commended the cordial ties between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, even as she emphasized  that the personal bond between the two leaders had helped advance bilateral relations.

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She assured of  Nigeria’s readiness to operationalise various agreements signed during President Tinubu’s State Visit to France in November 2024, including those on energy, infrastructure, and education.

The Minister however, urged France to encourage more of its investors to explore the Nigerian market, while also acknowledging the expansion of Nigerian banks such as Access Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank and United Bank for Africa into the French financial space.

Ambassador Ojukwu, who once served as Nigeria’s ambassador to Spain, informed the French envoy about the safety of his country’s investments in Nigeria, adding that Nigeria is actively engaged in creating an enabling business environment for existing and prospective investors through the introduction of measures to ensure fiscal responsibility, transparency, accountability and adherence to due process.

She also commended the French Government for its support in Nigeria’s counter-terrorism fight and expressed optimism that continued collaboration, particularly in the areas of defence and intelligence, would further improve regional stability. She highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing efforts in the North-East through military engagement, rehabilitation of displaced communities, and socio-economic programmes aimed at de-radicalisation and reintegration.

“We will continue to count on France’s support in the campaign against terrorism and insurgency in Nigeria, particularly through continued strategic cooperation and assistance,” the minister said.

She emphasised the importance of strengthening educational cooperation, citing a student exchange agreement between the signing of an Agreement on student exchange between the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) and Campus France, while also expressing concern over irregular migration and its effect on Nigeria’s global image.

Ambassador Fonbaustier, who was accompanied by the Deputy Head of Mission, Jean-Francoise Hasperue, noted that France and Nigeria share a “strategic mirroring effect” in their ideals of sovereignty, non-alignment, and self-reliance. He expressed confidence that both countries can build more meaningful collaborations devoid of colonial baggage, given that France has no colonial history with Nigeria.

Fonbaustier, however, raised concerns over the negative perception of Nigeria in France, often shaped by media narratives around insecurity and crime. He pledged to correct this narrative and build investor confidence by highlighting Nigeria’s reforms and potential.

The envoy acknowledged the economic reforms under President Tinubu, including unification of the forex market and removal of fuel subsidies, which he said had created fresh opportunities for investment in agriculture, renewable energy, ICT, and the creative industry, the statement added.