France and Nigeria: A Partnership Between Equals Supporting Our Strategic Autonomy

In the present era, international relations are often framed as if there were only two possible outcomes for states: to dominate, or to be dominated; to vassalise, or to be vassalised. Nations are supposed to make a choice in favour of this or that hegemon, this or that bloc. The lesson we are learning from our experience as Heads of State of two countries whose bilateral relationship has been deepening over the last 25 years is quite different.  

From our shared perspective, we can very confidently say that we see our relationship as a partnership between equals. Indeed, there are moments in history when countries find themselves driven by shared interests that are well understood and recognised by all. France and Nigeria find themselves at such a pivotal moment. 

When we have mutual interests, we work together. It is in our mutual interest to encourage private sector investment between our two countries. It is in our mutual interest to develop thriving creative and cultural industries that will create jobs for Nigerian and French young people. It is in our mutual interest to make sure that the Gulf of Guinea is safe for all economic activities. It is in our mutual interest to strengthen our food systems so that they are stable, secure, and not over-reliant on imports.  

We are glad that Nigeria and France are trusted partners to each other and to many countries all over the world. This trust is invaluable. This trust rules out constraint or pressure. It rules out systematic alignment. It rules out over-reliance. It leads us to respect the vision that our two countries have of their respective strategic autonomy. 

We define strategic autonomy as the ability for States to pursue their own interests without over-reliance on another state, particularly with regard to their national security and foreign policy; to choose a future for itself without foreign interference. Although the term is fairly recent, the principle of strategic autonomy is deeply rooted in the history of France and Nigeria. It is also a principle that is widely supported by the citizens of both our countries.  

Today, we want to reiterate our firm commitment to promoting this principle of strategic autonomy, not only for our two countries but also within the framework of the strategic vision that we are putting forward, as Nigeria, for Africa, and as France, for Europe.  

We will not meet the challenges of today’s world by building blocs. We will meet these challenges by reforming and renewing global governance and by adapting existing frameworks so that they enable us to work together more effectively, to reach consensus and to focus resources on solving the crucial challenges we face. To achieve this, we need global governance to be more inclusive and participatory. Even though progress has been made, more needs to be done to ensure that the entire world population, and particularly the African continent, feels truly represented in all fora.  

We need this renewed and reformed global governance to protect the achievements of previous generations, such as the body of international humanitarian law that exists today and should be implemented in the same way, whether in Gaza, in Sudan, or in Ukraine. There can be no double standard. We need it to step up our efforts to establish stronger health systems, education for all, sustainable and legal migration pathways. We need it to strengthen our resilience to climate change and to better protect biodiversity beyond national jurisdictions. Nigeria and France are proud to reaffirm today their commitment to work together in order to achieve all these objectives, and to help bring together all stakeholders, fully aware of our shared interests and horizons.  

By Emmanuel Macron, President of France and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of Nigeria.

This article was originally published on TheAfricaReport