Tinubu hails France-Nigeria business council meeting, says partnership enters execution phase
President Bola Tinubu has said Nigeria’s economic relationship with France has moved beyond discussions into implementation, following outcomes of the 10th France-Nigeria Business Council meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya.
President Bola Tinubu has said Nigeria’s economic relationship with France has moved beyond discussions into implementation, following outcomes of the 10th France-Nigeria Business Council meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya.
The meeting took place during the Africa Forward Summit and brought together senior government officials and leading private-sector players from both countries.
According to a statement from the Presidency on Tuesday, trade between Nigeria and France rose to $4.7 billion in 2025, with Nigeria remaining the top destination for French investment in sub-Saharan Africa.
Tinubu said the development signals that both countries must now focus on translating commitments into jobs, industrial growth, infrastructure development and wider economic benefits.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, and France’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade, Nicolas Forissier, also attended the meeting alongside business leaders from both countries.
Top executives present included Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, Tony Elumelu, and other business leaders such as Abdul Samad Rabiu, Wale Tinubu, and Kola Karim, as well as international executives including Patrick Pouyanné of TotalEnergies and Rodolphe Saadé of CMA CGM.
The President commended the Chairman of the France-Nigeria Business Council, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, for convening what he described as a productive engagement between both countries’ private sectors.
He also highlighted the signing of a partnership between Accor and Shoreline Group to develop Nigeria’s first national hotel platform, describing it as a strong vote of confidence in the country’s hospitality and tourism sector.
“This is the partnership Nigeria is ready for. We are ready for investment that builds, capital that produces, and an enterprise that creates jobs. Nigeria and France are no longer simply exchanging goodwill. We are opening a new chapter of serious economic execution,” he said
Tinubu further said his administration would continue to improve the business environment, deepen reforms and support credible investors.
Tinubu added, “The message from the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi is that Nigeria is ready, France is engaged, and the private sector in both countries is moving forward.”
He said the next phase of Africa-Europe relations would be defined by tangible projects in manufacturing, energy, agriculture, logistics, technology and job creation.
