TINUBU FREQUENT TRIPS TO FRANCE: WHAT IS IN FRANCE THAT KEEPS CALLING?
Since May 29, 2023, when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed the helm of Nigeria, France has been a frequent, perhaps even familiar, friend. Like a bee drawn to a blossom, he has journeyed to the French capital more times than the moon waxes and wanes.
His first flutter across the French skies came in June 2023, barely weeks into his presidency. He attended the “Summit on the New Global Financing Pact,” a gathering where global governors grappled with debt, climate challenges, and recovery. There, he pitched Nigeria’s potential with panache: “a new sheriff in town,” intent on roping in foreign direct investment and placing Nigeria firmly “back on the map.”
A proverb whispers that “the earliest bird has the widest window,” and indeed, this opening act set the stage for further flights across the Channel.
Next, a mid‑year mission: in August 2024, Tinubu embarked on what was described as a “brief work stay” in France. A private passage with public purpose. Though shorter in length, it spoke lengthily about his determination to deepen dialogue.
But why, you may wonder, does he keep returning? They say, “no road is long with good company,” and such seems the case with France, a partner striving to reinvent its relationship with Anglophone Africa, and Nigeria, Africa’s heavyweight, leading the charge.
Then came November 2024: the pièce de résistance; a three‑day, full‑fledged state visit, the first by a Nigerian leader since the year 2000. He was welcomed at Les Invalides with ceremonial pomp, reviewed by guards, serenaded by national anthems alongside President Emmanuel Macron, and dined with dignitaries.
The visit wasn’t mere pageantry. Far from it! A €300 million investment plan was inked, poised to modernize infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, energy, and human capital back home. Even Nigerian banks, Zenith and UBA, were opening doors in Paris.
Thus, from summit rooms to state banquets, from private visits to public partnerships, Tinubu’s footsteps have traversed the Parisian pavements each visit seems to be a stitch in a tale of diplomacy.
