President Bola Tinubu has met with French President Emmanuel Macron for a private dinner at the Élysée Palace in Paris, France, as both countries seek to strengthen their longstanding bilateral relationship.
The meeting took place on Thursday and was disclosed on Friday by Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who shared photographs of the two leaders on social media.
The images showed President Tinubu alongside President Macron and France’s First Lady, Brigitte Macron, during the private engagement at the French presidential palace.
Focus on Nigeria-France Relations
According to Onanuga, the dinner reflected the enduring relationship between Nigeria and France and the shared commitment of both countries to deepening bilateral cooperation.
Although details of the private discussions were not publicly disclosed, the engagement comes against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic and economic relations between Abuja and Paris.
Nigeria and France maintain cooperation across several areas, including trade and investment, security, education, energy, technology and cultural exchanges.
The two countries have in recent years continued to hold high-level meetings aimed at expanding economic ties and strengthening cooperation on regional and international issues.
Tinubu in Paris
The meeting with Macron came during President Tinubu’s stay in Paris as part of his three-week annual leave in Europe.
Tinubu departed Nigeria on August 30, 2026, for the holiday, with London as his first destination before travelling to Paris for the second leg of his leave. He arrived in the French capital on September 13.
Paris has been one of the Nigerian president’s most frequent foreign destinations since he assumed office in May 2023. According to an analysis by The PUNCH, Tinubu has visited the French capital at least 13 times, spending more than 50 days there on official, working and private engagements.
Continuing Diplomatic Engagements
The latest dinner is another high-level engagement between Tinubu and Macron. In September 2025, the two leaders also met at the Élysée Palace during Tinubu’s working visit to France.
At that meeting, Tinubu said they reviewed key areas of cooperation between Nigeria and France and agreed to deepen their partnership for mutual prosperity and global stability.
The relationship between both countries has also featured discussions around attracting French investment into Nigeria and expanding cooperation in areas that support economic growth and development.
Earlier in 2026, Tinubu met global investors in Paris, where he outlined his administration’s economic reforms and efforts to improve fiscal discipline, transparency and investment conditions in Nigeria.
Photos From the Dinner
Photographs released from Thursday’s private dinner showed Tinubu and Macron exchanging greetings and engaging in conversation, with Brigitte Macron also present.
The Presidency has not released detailed information on the issues discussed during the private dinner.
However, the meeting underscores the continued high-level diplomatic contacts between Nigeria and France as both countries seek to build on their existing partnership and explore additional areas of cooperation.
Tinubu is expected to return to Nigeria at the conclusion of his European leave, after which he will resume his official activities in Abuja.