FNBC Calls for Stronger France–Nigeria Partnerships at 2025 Economic Summit

L-R: Olusanya Olakunle, Director, Fanmilk (Danone); Uhabia Ojike, Guillaume Niarfeix, President Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Denis Martin, Managing Director, CFAO Mobility Nigeria; Muyiwa Akinyemi, Deputy Managing Director, United Bank of Africa; Laurent Favier, Consul General of France in Lagos; Adobi Nwapa, Executive Director, Zenith Bank; and Innocent C. Ike, Group Chief Executive Officer, Access Holdings, at the French Week 2025 Business Forum at Access Towers in Lagos… recently. 

By LOVETH AZODO,  Lagos

At the 2025 French Week Economic Summit, senior government officials, diplomats, and business leaders from France and Nigeria came together with a clear message: deeper bilateral collaboration is essential to unlocking sustainable, long-term growth for both nations.

Opening the summit, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, President of the France–Nigeria Business Council (FNBC) and Chairman of Access Holdings Plc, highlighted the urgent need to strengthen commercial ties through practical partnerships and strategic private-sector investment.

Represented by Innocent Ike, Group Chief Executive Officer of Access Holdings, Aig-Imoukhuede described the gathering as a testament to the progress envisioned when President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the FNBC in 2019.

Since then, he said, the council has grown into a vital platform advancing partnerships across energy, finance, infrastructure, and culture, guided by principles of innovation and sustainability.

Now in its third consecutive year and hosted at Access Towers, the headquarters of Access Bank, the summit explored the theme: “France–Nigeria Commercial Relations: Leveraging Partnership for Growth.” Aig-Imoukhuede spotlighted several major ongoing collaborations, including the AGORA Project, a France–Africa initiative focused on greener mobility, environmentally conscious urban infrastructure, and digital integration.

He also offered fresh updates on the Omi Eko Initiative, a landmark partnership between the Lagos State Government, French technical experts, and Nigerian private-sector players aimed at restoring the Lagos Lagoon. The project is expected to eliminate 31,000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually, draw more than €60 million in green-infrastructure investments, and create over 2,000 jobs across recycling, renewable energy, and sustainable tourism.

The summit also featured a major announcement from Folashade Ambrose-Medebem, Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment, who confirmed the emergence of the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC). Positioned as a magnet for global financial institutions and investors, the LIFC is designed to boost inflows, encourage innovation, and elevate Lagos as a global financial hub. “Watch this space,” she said, promising significant milestones by the time the summit reconvenes next year.

Ambrose-Medebem noted that the summit continues to serve as a crucial platform for cross-border dialogue, particularly as both countries explore new areas for investment. Recent initiatives, including the €410 million Omi Eko water transport modernisation project, underscore this commitment. The project will introduce a fleet of safe, eco-friendly electric ferries designed to ease mobility across Lagos waterways.

Beyond infrastructure, Aig-Imoukhuede emphasized the growing influence of Nigeria’s creative sector, calling it a strategic growth engine for both nations. Drawing attention to cultural collaborations such as Creation Africa and the Tate Modern’s “Nigeria Modernism” exhibition, he urged investors to take the creative economy seriously as a global export and a source of national soft power.

Climate transition also took center stage as Aig-Imoukhuede encouraged broader cooperation in renewable energy. With France’s technological leadership and Nigeria’s vast natural resources, he argued, both nations are well positioned to pursue transformative joint ventures in solar, hydro, wind, and cleaner gas solutions.

He concluded with a challenge to participants: move beyond talk and deliver measurable, sustainable outcomes that deepen ties and expand opportunities.

With renewed commitments from the FNBC, the Franco–Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Access Holdings, optimism ran high that the summit would fuel stronger partnerships, increased investment flows, and shared prosperity for France and Nigeria.