The French Consul General in Lagos, Laurent Favier, has expressed delight at celebrating this year’s Bastille Day.
He noted that it was a special celebration for the French people as they marked their national unity around their motto: “liberté, égalité, fraternité”.
“These are the values we are celebrating today, values that guide France’s action while promoting international solidarity, peace, democracy, and multilateralism.
“As the Olympic games are about to kick off in France, let’s embrace together, the values embodied by Olympism, excellence, respect, friendship, determination, equality, inspiration and courage,” he added.
He said that the day is celebrated in Lagos and Abuja with their Nigerian friends and all freedom lovers around the world.
Beyond the values and the ties that unite Nigeria and France, he said both country’s bilateral cooperation dates back many decades and he is proud that it is thriving in almost all sectors.
“Since the election of President Tinubu, we have had no fewer than four French ministerial visits to Nigeria, including that of the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“During the recent period, we have established new partnerships, primarily for the brilliant and talented youth and women of this country, whose energy inspires us. With the objectives of job creation and entrepreneurship, we eagerly support the development of vocational training, creative and cultural industries, digital and technological innovation, e-sport, student mobility and university cooperation,” he said.
He added that June was particularly intense in terms of cultural collaborations with the full support of the French Embassy in Nigeria and that over 25 Nigerian animation studios were present at the Annecy animation film festival.
“More recently, for the first time, a delegation of talented young documentary filmmakers were able to show their projects to several French producers at the Sunny Side of the Doc in La Rochelle.
“The Fashion and Design sectors were also highlighted by our “Lagos x Paris” Accelerator. The goal, he said, is to provide guidance, structure, and support for the growth and development of a number of high-potential Nigerian entrepreneurs both locally and internationally.
“In June, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) Group also celebrated its 15th anniversary in Nigeria with a successful event in Abuja. Since 2009, the AFD Group has asserted itself as a major technical and financial partner of Nigeria, investing 3.3 billion euros in over 57 projects, including 800 million euros through its private-sector subsidiary Proparco.
“Under the patronage of the French Embassy, the partnership between AFD and Nigeria aims to promote a sustainable and inclusive development model that generates employment, improves infrastructure, and supports education and skills development,” he added.
“Nigeria is France’s first trading partner in sub-Saharan Africa and alone accounts for over 60% of French investments in West Africa with approximately 10 billion Euros FDI in Nigeria. 100 French companies are here and employ over 10,000 Nigerians.
“The French companies are in the oil, agriculture and agri-food, pharmaceutical industry, renewable energies, Tech, logistics and microfinance sectors. They create factories, farms or vocational training institutes and register their actions over time, showcasing their spirit of initiative and, their deep commitment on social issues,” he noted.
