Nigeria tops French investment destination as bilateral trade hits $4.7bn in 2025

…Accor and Shoreline Group sign agreement for Nigeria’s first national hotel platform

Nigeria has emerged top French investments destination in Africa, with trade between the two countries peaking at $4.7 billion, in 2025.

This was revealed in Kenya on Tuesday, at the 10th France – Nigeria Business Council meeting, which held on the sidelines of the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya.

President Bola  Tinubu  described the meeting as clear signal that Nigeria and France are moving from dialogue to delivery.

 

With such huge  trade between both countries reaching $4.7 billion in 2025 and Nigeria remaining the top destination for French investment in sub-Saharan Africa, President Tinubu said the relationship now carries real economic weight and must be translated into more jobs, industries and  infrastructures.

The meeting, according to Bayo Onanuga, the Presidential Spokesman, was  attended by Jumoke Oduwole , Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, and Nicolas Forissier, France’s Minister Delegate,  as well as  leading Nigerian and French businesses provide updates on key projects and commit to further expanding collaboration between both countries.

Read also: Tinubu unveils potentials of Nigeria’s blue economy to investors in Kenya

At the summit, President Tinubu commended the current Chairman of the France-Nigeria Business Council, Aigboje Aig Imoukhuede, for convening a productive session that brought together leading Nigerian and French private-sector players.

The President also acknowledged the participation of Aliko Dangote, Abdul Samad Rabiu, Tony Elumelu, Wale Tinubu, Kola Karim, Kashim Bukar, Patrick Pouyanné of TotalEnergies, Rodolphe Saadé of CMA CGM, Danone, Accor, and other partners, whose presence reflects growing confidence in Nigeria’s reform direction and long-term competitiveness.

President Tinubu particularly welcomed the signing between Accor and Shoreline Group for Nigeria’s first national hotel platform, describing it as a major vote of confidence in Nigeria’s hospitality, tourism, services and investment future.

“This is the partnership Nigeria is ready for. We are ready for investment that builds, capital that produces, and an enterprise that creates jobs. Nigeria and France are no longer simply exchanging goodwill. We are opening a new chapter of serious economic execution.”

President Tinubu further affirmed that his administration will continue to strengthen the business environment, support credible investors, and deepen reforms to make Nigeria a more stable, productive, and competitive economy.

Read also: Nigeria to spend $11.6b on debt servicing in 2026 – Tinubu

“The message from the Africa Forward summit in Nairobi is that Nigeria is ready, France is engaged, and the private sector in both countries is moving forward. The next chapter of Africa-Europe relations will be written in factories, hotels, ports, energy projects, technology platforms, farms, jobs and new value chains,” President Tinubu added.