Macron postpones Nigeria visit scheduled for October 28

French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed his planned state visit to Nigeria, which was scheduled for later this month.

Macron was expected to visit Nigeria on October 28 and 29.

TheCable, quoting a French presidential source, disclosed this on Friday, saying that Macron had postponed the visit as France faces widespread protests and unrest.

The country has recently witnessed demonstrations over rising living costs, public services and school conditions. Protest on October 17 escalated into violence in several cities, with buildings set ablaze and shops looted.

French authorities are bracing for another wave of protests on Saturday.

An official familiar with the matter in Nigeria also disclosed that domestic situation in France was a factor to consider, referring to the postponement of Macron’s planned visit.

“A president will not travel when his home is contending with internal combustion,” official said.

Nigeria and France have maintained cordial diplomatic relations, with cooperation spanning trade, energy, security and investment.

In November 2024, Macron hosted President Bola Tinubu on a three-day state visit to France, where the two leaders discussed finance, energy transition, solid minerals, trade and investment, and communications, among other issues.

Macron’s planned visit to Nigeria was expected to build on agreements reached during Tinubu’s visit to France.

The French president, whose second and final term ends in May 2027, has maintained close ties with Tinubu since the Nigerian leader assumed office in 2023.

Tinubu has visited France at least nine times since taking office, for official engagements, working vacations and private trips.

Macron last visited Nigeria as French president in July 2018, when he met with the late former President Muhammadu Buhari and toured the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos.