France has denied recent claims suggesting it intends to establish a permanent military base in Nigeria or exploit the country’s natural resources.
Mr. Marc Fonbaustier, France’s Ambassador to Nigeria, made this clarification during a music concert organized by the French Embassy, marking the conclusion of activities for the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence in Nigeria.
In his remarks at the event, Fonbaustier highlighted the growing momentum in Nigeria-France relations over the past twelve years.
He emphasized that the partnership is grounded in mutual respect for both nations’ “strategic independence and sovereignty,” and not aimed at creating a permanent military presence in Nigeria.
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“There is no hint of such a plan in place. France has no intention of that sort. We can enhance military cooperation in some fields including security, but not as a permanent presence in Nigeria. This is absolutely not in our lexicon or in the mood of the times.
“As you know, France is withdrawing from countries, sometimes, voluntarily, other times not so. But in Nigeria, this has absolutely never been an issue.”
Fonbaustier further characterized the alleged claims regarding France’s intention to exploit Nigeria’s natural resources as a ‘misunderstanding’ of a recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two countries to enhance Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
“That MoU has been misinterpreted. It is a framework agreement in which President (Bola) Tinubu asked France, just as other partners like Germany have asked France, to provide technical assistance to help Nigerian companies and Nigerian authorities to better use their natural resources. It is nothing more than that,” Fonbaustier explained.
The ambassador emphasized that France is eager to strengthen its ties with Nigeria, focusing on areas such as training, agriculture, culture, creative industries, and technology. This will help broaden the economic and business relationship between the two countries.
With 100 French companies operating in Nigeria, creating 16,000 direct jobs and 100,000 indirect jobs, alongside Nigeria’s four major banks now operating in Paris, Fonbaustier is optimistic that such increased and reciprocal exchanges will lead to positive outcomes.
“We will never impose French solutions or way of doing things to our Nigerian friends. We listen carefully to what you need,” he concluded.
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