Nigeria

Political relations

France and Nigeria seek to develop their political relations. Bilateral relations have particularly grown in the economic and cultural fields. Nigeria, because of its demographic, economic, cultural and political importance, has a crucial role in Africa.

Economic relations

Nigeria is France’s leading trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa, and the fourth-largest in Africa, behind Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. In 2021, Nigeria accounted for 20% of France’s trade with sub-Saharan Africa, amounting to €3.53 billion. France has a bilateral trade deficit of €2.3 billion.

In 2021, French exports to Nigeria rose steeply in value on the previous year, from €528 million to €611 million, or a 16% rise, in the first year of rising French sales to Nigeria in 9 years. Manufactured products represent almost the totality of France’s exports to Nigeria, with agrifood products being the leading export at around 30%. France is Nigeria’s 9th-largest supplier, between Germany and Brazil.

While petroleum products represent 95% of our imports from Nigeria, the around 100 French companies in the country are present in various economic sectors, including pharmaceuticals, energy, insurance, agrifood, shipping and hospitality, employing around 10,000 people directly. French foreign direct investment in Nigeria has doubled in a decade, confirming the historic and long-term activities of our companies. France’s foreign direct investment stock in the country, which stood at €7.2 billion in 2021, is ahead of that of the United Kingdom and the United States.

The France-Nigeria Business Council was launched in 2018 and brings together the major French and Nigerian companies that wish to launch investment partnerships together. It has brought to fruition both French investment projects in Nigeria and Nigerian investment projects in France, particularly in the banking sector.