French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a private dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris on Thursday night, marking a high-level close to the Nigerian leader’s three-week working vacation in Europe.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the meeting in a post on his verified X account on Friday morning. He described the engagement as a reflection of the enduring relationship between Nigeria and France and both countries’ shared commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.
“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,” Onanuga wrote.
Details of the discussions were not disclosed. The dinner took place in the final days of Tinubu’s annual leave, which the Presidency had described as a working vacation. The president left Abuja on Sunday, August 30. He arrived in Paris on Sunday, September 6, for the second leg of the trip and was received by Nigeria’s Ambassador to France, Ayodele Oke.
The Presidency had earlier stated that Tinubu would return to Nigeria at the end of the three-week break.
The private meeting adds to a series of recent contacts between the two leaders as Nigeria and France expand cooperation in trade, investment and other areas. Paris has featured regularly in Tinubu’s diplomatic and economic outreach. In May, the Nigerian president held talks with global investors in the French capital, outlining his administration’s economic reform agenda and efforts to attract foreign investment. He emphasized policy stability, fiscal discipline, transparency and the consistent implementation of reforms aimed at supporting sustained growth. The May engagement included representatives of major international financial and investment institutions.
Thursday’s dinner continues the pattern of high-level engagement between Abuja and Paris as both governments work to deepen bilateral ties.
