French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed his planned state visit to Nigeria, initially scheduled for next week, following consultations with Nigerian authorities as anti-government demonstrations affect diplomatic engagements. The visit has now been postponed till after the elections in 2027. The postponement comes amid domestic unrest in France, with the French leader expected to remain focused on developments at home rather than undertake the scheduled trip to Nigeria. The visit would have provided another opportunity to strengthen diplomatic and economic cooperation between Nigeria and France, building on engagements during the presidency of President Bola Tinubu. The visit had been expected on October 28 and 29. It would have marked Macron’s first visit to Nigeria since July 2018, when he met then-President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja and visited the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos. The postponement comes against the backdrop of widespread demonstrations in France, initially driven by students protesting teacher shortages, overcrowded classrooms and inadequate educational facilities. The protests, which began in September, spread from the Paris region to major cities, including Marseille, Lyon, Nantes and Bordeaux. They coincided with industrial action by public-sector workers opposed to government budget proposals and concerns over living costs. Tensions escalated during nationwide demonstrations on October 17, some of which were accompanied by clashes and damage to public property. Macron subsequently convened security meetings and called for measures to prevent further violence, as additional demonstrations were planned for October 24. French authorities also imposed restrictions on some planned protests, while the government sought dialogue with student representatives, trade unions and other stakeholders. The postponed Nigerian visit was expected to build on Tinubu’s state visit to France in November 2024, during which both leaders discussed expanding cooperation in infrastructure, agriculture, energy, finance and investment. That visit produced agreements aimed at supporting Nigeria’s infrastructure development and food security, including a proposed €300 million investment programme covering sectors such as transportation, healthcare, renewable energy and agriculture. It also coincided with an expansion of Nigerian banking operations in France, with Zenith Bank opening a Paris branch and United Bank for Africa pursuing its own entry into the French market. Nigeria and France have maintained longstanding diplomatic and commercial relations, with cooperation spanning trade, education, security, culture and development finance. France was Nigeria’s largest trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa in 2023, with bilateral trade exceeding $5 billion, according to French trade figures reported at the time of Tinubu’s 2024 visit. The relationship has also acquired greater strategic importance as France seeks to strengthen partnerships with English-speaking African countries following diplomatic and security setbacks in parts of the Sahel. Tinubu and Macron have pursued closer engagement since the Nigerian President assumed office in May 2023, including discussions during Tinubu’s attendance at the Summit for a New Global Financing Pact in Paris the following month. The two countries have also cooperated on creative industries, technology investment and the recovery of Nigerian assets held abroad.
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