French Ambassador: Nigeria’s Strengthened Ties with France Began Before Tinubu

Marc Fonbaustier, the French Ambassador to Nigeria, has clarified that the country’s enhanced relationship with France was not a recent development linked to President Bola Tinubu's tenure but one that has historical precedents.

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES, Ambassador Fonbaustier was addressing the widely held belief in Nigeria that France had started gravitating towards Nigeria as its popularity waned among Francophone African nations in West Africa.

Under President Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s diplomatic ties with France seem to be intensifying. Tinubu has made France a primary destination for his official visits, aimed at establishing both bilateral and multilateral partnerships.

During the interaction, the ambassador remarked that the improvement in relations spans back to the early years of Nigeria's Fourth Republic, around the turn of the millennium. He explained that it was during this period that France began diversifying its focus from its former colonies to include other nations within West Africa.

Fonbaustier noted that this strategic shift occurred during the tenures of ex- French Presidents Francois Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac, particularly in the 1990s and early 2000s. "We have been gradually approaching English-speaking nations, recognizing that our presence was inadequate in regions previously under British or Dutch colonial rule," he stated.

Furthermore, France sought to bolster its ties with Nigeria following the nation's transition back to civilian governance in 2000. The ambassador recounted how one of the first significant visits by Nigeria’s returned democratic president, Olusegun Obasanjo, was to France, marking a pivotal moment for diplomatic engagement between the two countries.

Historically, France's relations with Nigeria were characterized by distance and tension, as France usually concentrated on its former colonies in West and Central Africa—often through the Françafrique network—while Nigeria, as an independent Anglophone state, remained cautious of French influence in the region.

Nonetheless, as the late 1990s gave way to early 2000s, France recognized the need for closer cooperation with Nigeria, aligning its interests more strategically with the country. This collaboration deepened over time, particularly following the emergence of jihadist threats in the Lake Chad Basin, where France became one of Nigeria's prominent Western allies.

Former President Muhammadu Buhari made numerous official trips to France, including a significant working visit in 2015 to discuss matters of defense, security, trade, and economic relations alongside then-French President François Hollande. A year later, Hollande visited Nigeria to support the Second Regional Security Summit, which was hosted by Buhari.

In 2021, Buhari was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron for a working lunch, where various topics, including bilateral relations, regional security issues, and economic cooperation, were deliberated.

Ambassador Fonbaustier emphasized the continuity of these ties, stating, "The relationship has evolved significantly, with each presidential visit serving to reinforce the longstanding history between our two nations, rather than commencing solely from changes related to Francophone nations."

Additionally, he reiterated France's ongoing objective to broaden its engagement with all African nations. However, France's relationships within its former Sahel colonies have faced strains in recent years due to the rise of military regimes, which view France's military presence as a threat to their sovereignty.

Countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have expelled French military personnel and signaled their discontent toward France’s diplomatic involvement. Fonbaustier mentioned that these regimes feel their sovereignty is challenged by France’s continued presence, and some leaders have described France as an imperialistic force.

The evolving dynamic has also influenced Nigeria's relationships with these junta-led governments. For instance, Niger’s military chief accused Nigeria of conspiring with France to destabilize their nation and claimed a connection with militant groups in the Lake Chad region with Nigeria’s complicity.

Nigerian officials have categorically rejected these allegations. The nation's National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, labeled them as unfounded and false.

In response to increasing pressures, the juntas in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have formed an Alliance of Sahel states, opting to formally exit the region’s primary grouping, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), after months of rising tensions and dissatisfaction with the bloc's support in combating terrorism.

Their departure followed a shared sentiment that ECOWAS was ineffective in meeting their needs and unfairly imposing sanctions detrimental to their populations, a decision they have refused to reconsider upon ECOWAS’s request.