President Bola Tinubu declared on Thursday that Nigeria is “open for business” as he embarked on a state visit to France, marking a significant step in strengthening relations between the two nations.
This visit comes as Paris seeks to bolster its presence in English-speaking Africa after a series of setbacks with former allies on the continent.
During the visit, the 72-year-old Nigerian leader met with French President Emmanuel Macron, in what is the first official state visit by a Nigerian president to France in over two decades.
Macron, 46, who has sought to rejuvenate France’s ties with Africa since his election in 2017, expressed France’s commitment to continuing its investments in Nigeria, especially in the face of waning French influence in the region due to recent military coups and shifting allegiances.
“We will continue to invest in Nigeria,” Macron stated, emphasizing the importance of the relationship. Despite the challenges of insecurity and corruption in Nigeria, which has left over 129 million Nigerians living in poverty, the country remains Africa’s top oil producer and is home to a thriving film industry, Nollywood.
For Tinubu, the visit is a chance to attract much-needed economic investment, particularly as Nigeria faces rising inflation and food prices. “Nigeria is open for business,” Tinubu said after his meeting with Macron, stressing that the country should be taken seriously as both a partner and a destination for investment.
The French pivot toward English-speaking Africa, including visits to Nigeria in 2018 and South Africa in 2021, is a strategic move by Macron to counter France’s declining influence, especially after a series of coups in former colonies such as Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. These new military regimes have severed ties with France and sought closer relations with Russia.
“France’s leading trading partners in Africa are not French-speaking,” noted Togolese economist Kako Nubukpo. According to the French customs authority, Nigeria was France’s top trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, followed by South Africa. Despite the growing competition from countries like China, India, and Turkey, France still holds considerable sway in the region, particularly in English-speaking nations where it is not burdened by its colonial past, according to Alain Antil, a researcher at the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).
With rapid urbanization and an emerging middle class across the continent, Africa presents significant opportunities for growth, and France is keen to expand its investments. Macron also addressed this in his meeting with Tinubu, stating, “France wants to work alongside you,” particularly in developing Nigeria’s young, educated, and eager-to-be-trained population.
With Nigeria’s population surpassing 220 million, the country represents a promising market despite the challenges posed by insecurity and corruption. Tinubu acknowledged investors’ concerns about security, reiterating his government’s commitment to stabilizing the situation. However, he also acknowledged that more efforts are needed to improve security in the country.
Since 2009, northern Nigeria has been plagued by jihadist groups, including Boko Haram and the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), as well as armed criminal gangs. Nevertheless, Tinubu remains hopeful about the potential for a mutually beneficial relationship between Nigeria and France, describing the partnership as one of equals, rather than one where Nigeria is lectured, particularly on sensitive issues such as human rights.
Looking ahead, Paris hopes to expand its influence on the continent during the 2026 Africa-France Summit, where it will target partnerships with countries like Kenya and Zambia. A diplomatic source, who requested anonymity, noted that Tinubu’s visit is a clear indication of Nigeria’s desire for a “partnership of equals.”
