President Bola Tinubu has expressed his appreciation to France for the return of $150 million stolen from Nigeria by former Head of State, General Sani Abacha.

In addition to the recovery of another tranche of Abacha loot, Tinubu acknowledged the signing of a €100 million agreement between Nigeria and France to support the i-DICE programme – a Federal Government initiative to promote investment in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Creative Arts Industries.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Technology, Dr Bosun Tijani, and the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, at the Tafawa Balewa House, the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja on Friday, November 3, 2023.

President Tinubu, according to a statement issued by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, commended the strengthening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and France, noting that this progress followed his visit to Paris after his inauguration.

“Thank you for the good news on the return of Abacha loot. We appreciate your effective cooperation concerning the return of Nigeria’s money. It will be judiciously applied in attaining our development objectives,” the president told Colonna, who delivered the news to him.

Tinubu, while emphasising the need to reinforce collaboration on both political and economic fronts, commenced the growing cooperation between the two countries in areas of shared interest, such as climate change, economic integration, education, and culture.

On the situation in Niger Republic, President Tinubu, who is the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, said Nigeria is monitoring the situation in the neighbouring country, and exploring diplomatic channels to avoid bloodshed.

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He added: “Leadership is about responding to the needs of the people; their cries, and their frustrations.

“Nigeria shares a border with Niger across the expanse of seven Nigerian states, and most of these states are very populated. Therefore, I need to guide ECOWAS carefully and steadily so that we manage our anger carefully.

“We have a colleague and a democratically-elected leader, President Bazoum, being used as a human shield. If we are not careful, he and his family can be endangered.

“I am deploying all appropriate back-channel strategies to avoid bloodshed in Niger Republic. We recognize the wishes of our people; they do not want war, but that does not mean we can not take bold and decisive action.”

President Tinubu added that Nigeria will continue to galvanise international partners in the determined pursuit of a peaceful resolution to the situation in Niger Republic.

On her part, Colonna conveyed the goodwill of President Emmanuel Macron and expressed the readiness of France to expand mutually beneficial collaboration with Nigeria across multiple sectors.

She further extended a formal invitation to Tinubu to attend the forthcoming Paris Peace Forum.

Speaking on the Abacha loot, the French minister said the repatriation followed the completion of legal processes.

“It was a long process, but we are glad that it was concluded. Sometimes, justice may be slow, but this is a very good achievement,” she said.

The Star