France has reiterated its commitment to supporting Nigeria’s mining development roadmap, French Ambassador to Nigeria, Marc Fonbaustier, said yesterday.
The envoy also reaffirmed France’s position as a key ally in advancing Nigeria’s solid minerals sector.
Fonbaustier made the pledge during a courtesy visit to Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, in Abuja.
A statement by the Minister’s Senior Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, quoted Fonbaustier as expressing France’s keen interest in investing in Nigeria’s rapidly developing solid minerals industry.
Acknowledging France’s proactive role, Alake identified the country as one of the foremost stakeholders expressing strong interest in Nigeria’s mining sector.
The minister noted that France has demonstrated “enthusiasm, commitment, and readiness to implement tangible projects” within Nigeria’s mining industry.
He further expressed confidence that the long-standing and robust bilateral relationship between both nations would be “enhanced through key initiatives in the solid minerals sector backed by actionable goals with clear timelines.”
Alake reiterated that a key priority of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s policy agenda is economic diversification, with solid minerals development playing a central role.
He underscored the importance of sustained engagement with French partners to identify serious investors and fine-tune areas of collaboration in line with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last year.
Nigeria and France signed the MoU following President Tinubu’s state visit to France, aiming to develop joint projects that promote and diversify the critical minerals value chain. The agreement focuses on technical assistance, capacity building, and the remediation of abandoned mining pits.
Echoing the ambassador’s commitment, Carole Libreton, Deputy Head of the Regional Economic Department at the French Embassy, affirmed France’s willingness to fund projects within the mining sector and collaborate with the ministry to mobilise French companies for value chain development.
Ambassador Fonbaustier was accompanied by Florent Mangin, Head of the French Embassy’s Regional Economic Department, and Carole Libreton, Deputy Head of the department.
