The meeting between Bola Tinubu, an influential politician in Nigeria, and Emmanuelle Blattmann, French Ambassador to Nigeria, took place recently to discuss bilateral relations between the two countries. During the meeting, Tinubu expressed his gratitude to Blattmann for his commitment to strengthening ties between France and Nigeria.
Tinubu encouraged Blattmann to use her new role as Africa Director to advocate the need for “enhanced technical cooperation” between Nigeria and France to combat terrorism and violent extremism. He stressed the importance of increased cooperation in joint efforts to combat terrorism and counter violent extremism in the region.
Blattmann shared the convincing results of his mission, highlighting France’s significant investments in Nigeria and the remarkable increase in bilateral trade. France is among the main foreign investors in Nigeria, with a stock of investments exceeding $10 billion, and trade between the two countries increased by 51% in 2021 and 2022.
She also highlighted that France is one of Nigeria’s main development partners, with more than €3 billion in investments over the last decade by AFD and PROPARCO, notably in various Nigerian states.
The meeting between Tinubu and Blattmann saw notable achievements in the areas of economy, trade, education, arts and culture, thus strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
Concluding their meeting, Tinubu thanked Blattmann for her remarkable work in Nigeria and stressed that she would always be welcome in the country. He stressed the need to strengthen technical cooperation to combat terrorism and violent extremism in the region.
This meeting demonstrates the importance placed by both countries on bilateral cooperation in various areas, and France’s commitment to Nigeria is illustrated by the significant investments and growth in trade between the two nations.
The relationship between France and Nigeria will continue to strengthen through these joint efforts, and the benefits of this cooperation will be felt in various sectors, thus contributing to the development and prosperity of both countries.