By John Ikani
French President Emmanuel Macron has inaugurated the France-Nigeria Business Council, a private sector initiative to enhance business relations between the two countries with Abdul Samad Rabiu, Founder/ Chairman of Nigeria’s BUA Group, as its inaugural President.
The development comes weeks after French Minister for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, Franck Riester, had in April announced that the Chairman of BUA Group had been appointed Chairman of the France Nigeria Investment Club.
The newly-inaugurated council also has Gilbert Chagoury of Chagoury Group; Mike Adenuga of Globacom and Conoil; Aliko Dangote of Dangote Industries; Tony Elumelu, Chairman UBA & Heirs Holdings, and Herbert Wigwe, CEO, Access Bank as the Nigerian members of the council.
The largest French companies, including Dassault, Danone, Axens, Ponticelli and Total Energies, are also members of the council.
The Innauguration event was held in Paris on the sidelines of the Business France Summit in Versailles, France.
Delivering his remarks, Rabiu thanked the French president for his vision of creating the French Nigeria business council, enhancing the business relationship between Nigeria and France.
He also commended Macron for appointing him as the first president of the inaugurated council, as he pledged to use the platform to create better opportunities for businesses on both sides.
On his part, President Macron praised the BUA Chairman and newly-appointed president of the council for having confidence in French businesses, which led to a partnership for BUA’s new 200,000barrels per day refinery.
He also pledged his government’s support to facilitating better dialogue amongst the Nigerian businesses present and their French counterparts.
