According to presidency sources, barring any last-minute changes, Macron is scheduled to visit Nigeria on October 28 and 29.
In November 2024, Macron hosted President Bola Tinubu on a three-day state visit, during which the two leaders held discussions on finance, energy transition, solid minerals, trade and investment, communication and other areas of bilateral cooperation.
Presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, had said the visit focused on “strengthening political, economic, and cultural relations and establishing more opportunities for partnership”.
The upcoming reciprocal visit is expected to strengthen the agreements reached two years ago in France.
According to The Cable, officials from the French presidency have begun arriving in Nigeria to “hold discussions with their counterparts here to put finishing touches” ahead of Macron’s visit.
Tinubu and Macron have maintained close ties since he assumed office as Nigeria's president in 2023.
Tinubu has visited France at least nine times since 2023, for various purposes, including official visits, working vacations, and private trips.
French Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier, first announced Macron’s planned visit to Nigeria in July.
The envoy said the visit would provide an opportunity for both countries to review their growing strategic partnership.
“Together, our two presidents will assess the progress of our roadmap and outline the key elements of our relationship for the years to come. These will undoubtedly be ambitious and mutually beneficial for our two peoples,” Fonbaustier said.
The envoy added that the “new relationship between Africa and France was, in some way, born in Nigeria or ‘Made in Nigeria’. Because as a young man, Emmanuel Macron spent six significant and formative months in this country while he was a student, 24 years ago”.
Macron last visited Nigeria as French president in July 2018. He met with the late former President Muhammadu Buhari and toured the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos.