French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed his planned state visit to Nigeria until 2027 following consultations with President Bola Tinubu, amid mounting unrest in France and other concerns surrounding the diplomatic engagement.
The visit, initially scheduled for October 28 and 29, was expected to strengthen diplomatic and economic relations between Nigeria and France.
Reports from both Nigerian and international media confirmed on Friday that the French leader would no longer travel to Nigeria as planned. The visit is now expected to take place next year, although a new date has yet to be announced.
The postponement comes as France grapples with protests over living costs, public services and educational conditions, with demonstrations in several cities escalating into violence.
The unrest has increased pressure on Macron’s administration, with further demonstrations planned across the country.
However, reports indicate that the protests were not the only consideration behind the decision. Concerns surrounding Nigeria’s forthcoming presidential election and a recently confirmed Ebola case were also cited in reports about the postponement.
The visit was expected to reciprocate Tinubu’s three-day state visit to France in November 2024, during which both leaders discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in finance, energy, trade, investment, infrastructure and communications.
During the 2024 engagement, the two countries explored measures to strengthen economic ties and attract French investment into key sectors of the Nigerian economy.
The planned visit was also expected to feature prominently in activities marking the growing partnership between Nigerian and French businesses.
The France-Nigeria Business Forum, scheduled for October 29 in Lagos, has also been postponed following the decision to defer Macron’s visit. Organisers said revised dates and arrangements would be communicated later.
Macron last visited Nigeria as French president in July 2018, when he met then-President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja and visited the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos.
Since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023, Nigeria and France have pursued closer diplomatic and economic engagement, with both countries seeking to expand cooperation in trade, energy, security, technology and investment.
The postponement delays another major diplomatic engagement between Abuja and Paris, as both countries continue efforts to deepen their strategic partnership.
No specific date has been confirmed for Macron’s visit in 2027.
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