President Bola Tinubu on Thursday began a two-day visit to France, with both sides seeking increased economic cooperation and Paris looking to boost ties in English-speaking Africa following a series of setbacks with former allies on the continent.

 

French President Emmanuel Macron greeted his counterpart at the historic Invalides memorial complex, with the first official state visit by a Nigerian leader in more than two decades.

 

The two national anthems rang out in the courtyard of one of Paris’s landmarks, kicking off a visit focused on encouraging economic partnerships between France and Africa’s most populous country.

Macron has sought a “renewal” between Paris and Africa since his 2017 election and after military coups and changing attitudes lessened France’s influence on the continent.

The trip is “an opportunity to deepen the already dynamic relationship between France and Nigeria”, Macron’s office said.

 

The west African country is the continent’s leading oil producer and has a robust film industry, dubbed “Nollywood”.

 

But challenges posed by insecurity and corruption have left 129 million Nigerians — more than half the country’s population — living below the poverty line.

 

For Nigeria, which has been battling soaring inflation and food prices, the visit represents an opportunity to tap economic investment.

 

Nigeria was looking to build ties in “agriculture, security, education, health, youth engagement, innovation and energy transition,” Tinubu’s office said in a statement, adding that the president had landed in Paris on Wednesday evening.

 

He and Macron will also address “shared values concerning finance, solid minerals, trade and investment, and communication,” it added.

AFP