France’s ambassador to Nigeria, Jerome Pasquier, echoed President Macron’s earlier commitment that more French investments will progressively flow into the Nigerian business sector. In this interview, the French emissary revealed a shift in France’s foreign policy towards Anglophone countries. “France has more connection with Francophone countries, but now we insist that there should not be such barrier,” he avowed. He spoke with EFFECTS at the Ikeja, Lagos office of Ma Petite France, a frontline Nigerian firm promoting the language and culture of the French. The envoy unveiled a novelty French plan to engage Anglophone countries in 2020 and also described the nature of French military intervention in francophone countries fighting insurgency in the West Africa region.
West Africa with nine francophone countries is an important region to France. The sub-region has over the years been moving towards greater integration as a single bloc. What is France’s plan for the emerging West Africa bloc?
We have Francophone and Anglophone countries in West Africa. Traditionally, for historical reasons, France has more connection with the Francophone countries but now we insist that there should not be such a barrier. Africa is one. And we are really pushing Francophone and Anglophone countries to work together. Also, France wants to develop our relationship with the Anglophone countries and of course, especially with Nigeria, which is the biggest country on the continent. For example, we are going to organise next year in France, Africa Season. It shall promote Africa and we shall promote African culture from all the countries. So there will be artistes from Francophone countries and also artists from Anglophone countries and even from some Portuguese-speaking countries. This difference of language is a historical heritage but we have to work together.
President Macron, during his visit pledged that more French businesses will be heading to Nigeria. What is the progress report on this?
Of course, it is still very much on the table. We are very much willing to develop all forms of trade between France and Nigeria, economically, culturally, university cooperation and so on. Of course, it is not something that can be done in one day. We are working hard at the embassy and the consulate to attract more and more French companies and we do this in connection with Nigerian authorities. Two days ago, I met with the governor-elect of Lagos. We discussed how to attract more French investment into Lagos and I have also done so in Ibadan and Kano and other parts of Nigeria, but of course it will take some time, because you know business people, they will have to look at the country if they think it is of their interest, they look carefully, but I think the trend is positive, we have more and more French companies coming. We are not going to stop our efforts.
A few Francophone countries in the region such as Mali, Niger, Chad and Cameroon are fighting insurgency. We have in the past seen a French intervention in Mali. What is the French government’s plan to help these countries?
We have intervened in Mali, at the demand of the Malian authorities because the situation was very serious, as the insurgents were about to take over control of the country, so we intervened at the demand of the government, and they were happy to be freed of those terrorists and fanatical people, in Timbuktu for instance they destroyed a mosque and some traditional monuments. In Nigeria, you have the problem of Boko Haram that is also affecting Cameroon, Chad and Niger. We have cooperation with the Nigerian authority but not with the military, because Nigeria is a big country with a strong army, so there’s no need having French military people here in Nigeria. But we are really encouraging the Nigerian authorities to fight this Boko Haram insurgency while we are also working with Chad, Niger and Cameroon against the insurgents. It is a very serious issue because Nigeria will not be able to develop if those insurgents are allowed to run over the country.
What does Nigeria need to do to get things right?
There are many clever and educated people in Nigeria, so I am not going to tell the Nigerian people what they have to do. What I can tell you is that as French, we shall be very happy if we work with the Nigerian people, if we can help Nigeria to develop in all fields, to raise the standard of education, to work on health, to work on governance; we are very much willing to answer to any demand from the Nigerian authorities.