French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Nigeria before the end of 2026, the French government has confirmed.
The announcement was made by Marc Fonbaustier, France’s ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, during France’s National Day celebration in Abuja on Tuesday night. He did not give a specific month, but said the visit would happen in the fall, which runs from September to December in both Nigeria and France.
Fonbaustier said the trip is meant to take stock of the “roadmap” both countries agreed on after President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Paris in November 2024.
“Together, our two presidents will assess the progress of our roadmap and outline the key elements of our relationship for the years to come,” he said. “These will undoubtedly be ambitious and mutually beneficial for our two peoples.”
The ambassador tied the renewed push to Macron’s personal history with Nigeria. He noted that Macron spent six months in the country as a student 24 years ago, an experience he credits with shaping his approach to Africa.
“This new relationship between Africa and France was, in some way, born in Nigeria or ‘Made in Nigeria’,” Fonbaustier said.
He framed the current relationship around equality and shared priorities: agriculture, security, democracy and governance.
“It means avoiding prejudice, not imposing anything, and not interfering. On the contrary, it means listening to each other, communicating openly, and making decisions together,” he added.
On security, Fonbaustier said both countries remain committed to strategic autonomy and to fighting terrorism across the region. He said Nigeria and France are already working to help other nations build capacity to tackle the threat.
“In the face of terrorism, which is affecting the entire region, Nigeria and France are working together to assist countries eager to strengthen their capabilities,” he said.
Macron last came to Nigeria as president in July 2018, when he met then-President Muhammadu Buhari and visited the Afrika Shrine in Lagos. Tinubu was hosted at the Elysee Palace in Paris in September 2025.
