Macron to visit Nigeria on state visit before end of 2026
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to embark on a state visit to Nigeria before the end of the year, according to the French Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier.
Fonbaustier announced the planned visit on Tuesday during celebrations marking France’s National Day in Abuja. Although he did not specify a date, he said the visit would take place in the fall season, which runs from September to December.
The ambassador said Macron’s trip would provide an opportunity for both countries to assess the progress of their expanding strategic partnership following President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to France in November 2024.
“I am pleased and honoured to announce that, two years after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to Paris, the President of the French Republic, Emmanuel Macron, will travel to Nigeria for another state visit this fall,” Fonbaustier said.
He added that both leaders would review the implementation of their bilateral roadmap and outline future areas of cooperation that would benefit both nations.
Fonbaustier noted that Macron’s relationship with Nigeria dates back more than two decades, recalling that the French leader spent six months in the country as a student, an experience he said helped shape Macron’s vision for Africa and France’s engagement with the continent.
According to the envoy, relations between Nigeria and France are founded on equality, mutual respect and shared interests in areas including agriculture, security, democracy and governance.
He stressed that both countries are committed to working together without interference, describing equality as the cornerstone of their partnership.
On security, the ambassador said Nigeria and France remain united in combating terrorism and supporting countries across the region to strengthen their security capabilities.
He added that regional stability depends on a strong Nigeria and a united West Africa capable of confronting the growing security challenges facing the region.
Macron last visited Nigeria in July 2018, when he met then-President Muhammadu Buhari and visited the Afrika Shrine in Lagos. In September 2025, he hosted President Tinubu at the Élysée Palace in Paris.
