Tinubu meets Macron for private dinner in Paris

President Bola Tinubu met French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday for a private dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris.

It is the latest in the series of meetings and engagements between Nigeria and France since Mr Tinubu assumed office in 2023.

The president’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed the meeting in a post on X on Friday. He also shared photographs of the two leaders at the French presidential palace.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the meeting took place while Mr Tinubu was in France during the second leg of his three-week annual leave in Europe.

He arrived in Paris on Monday after spending the first part of his leave in London.

According to Mr Onanuga, the dinner reflected the longstanding relationship between Nigeria and France.

In the post, he wrote, “French President Emmanuel Macron received President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a private dinner Thursday night at the Élysée Palace, reflecting the enduring relationship between Nigeria and France and their shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.”

President Tinubu, in a separate post about the meeting, also said his conversation with Mr Macron reflects both countries’ mutual interest in maintaining good relations and strengthening the existing partnership.

He also thanked the French president for his hospitality and friendship.

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“It was a pleasure to share a private dinner with President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace in Paris. @EmmanuelMacron

“Our conversation reaffirmed the strong friendship between Nigeria and France, as well as our shared commitment to deepening cooperation and building a mutually beneficial partnership between our two nations,” he wrote.

Photographs released from the dinner showed Mr Tinubu and Mr Macron together at the Élysée Palace, with another image showing Mr Tinubu, Mr Macron and France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron.

However, details of the interaction or any potential agreement between the two leaders were not provided.