President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja for Paris today to begin a three-day official visit to France.
The presidential visit was at the instance of President Francois Hollande of France.
President Muhammadu Buhari will be accompanied on the visit by the National Security Adviser, Maj.Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd.); the Permanent Secretaries in the Federal Ministries of Defence, Finance, Agriculture, Foreign Affairs, Industry, Trade and Investment as well as the Chief Executives of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission and the Nigerian Export Promotion Council.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, Mr Femi Adesina in a statement stated that President Muhammadu Buhari will meet with Hollande at the Elysee Palace, Paris. Buhari will also hold talks with other senior French Government officials. The meetings, according to Adesina, will focus on further strengthening and consolidation of ongoing bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and France in the areas of defence, security, trade and investments.
President Muhammadu Buhari and his team will also confer with the French Minister of Defence, Mr. Jean-Yves Le Drian, his Finance and Public Accounts counterpart, Mr. Michel Sapin. Also scheduled for the talks are Minister of Economy and Industry, Mr. Emmanuel Macron and his Foreign Affairs and International Development counterpart, Mr. Laurent Fabius.
“The President will visit the headquarters of MEDEF, France’s largest federation of investors and employers, where he will participate in a France/Nigeria investment forum with leading Nigerian and French entrepreneurs,” the statement added.
It stated that Buhari would also confer with the chief executive officers of leading French multinational companies, such as Total and Lafarge, on their current and future investments in Nigeria.
The President’s other scheduled engagements in Paris include a meeting with African ambassadors to France and an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community.
He will conclude his visit to France on Wednesday and return to Abuja the same day.