By George Omagbemi
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit Nigeria for a state visit on October 28 and 29, 2026, in what will be a major diplomatic engagement between Abuja and Paris.
According to TheCable, citing presidency sources, Macron’s visit is scheduled for the two-day period, subject to any last-minute changes. French presidency officials have already arrived in Nigeria to hold discussions with their Nigerian counterparts and finalise arrangements for the visit.
The planned visit follows an earlier announcement by France’s Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier, who said in July that Macron would travel to Nigeria in the autumn. The ambassador did not give an exact date at the time.
Macron’s visit is expected to provide an opportunity for Nigeria and France to review and strengthen cooperation in trade, investment, security, energy, critical minerals, technology and cultural industries.
The visit also comes after renewed high-level engagement between Macron and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The two leaders met privately at the Élysée Palace in Paris in September, where they discussed strengthening bilateral relations.
It will be Macron’s first presidential visit to Nigeria since 2018, when he met then-President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja and later visited Lagos, including the New Afrika Shrine.
Tinubu’s state visit to France in November 2024 had already resulted in agreements and declarations covering economic cooperation, sustainable investment, critical minerals, banking and Nigeria’s creative and cultural industries.
The forthcoming visit is therefore expected to focus on deepening the strategic partnership between Nigeria and France and translating existing agreements into further economic and security cooperation.
The October 28–29 dates remain subject to any official confirmation or change by the two governments.
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