The French president’s planned October trip has been deferred, alongside the France-Nigeria Business Forum, as domestic unrest and other concerns complicate preparations.

French President Emmanuel Macron has postponed his planned state visit to Nigeria, originally scheduled for October 28 and 29, with the trip now expected to take place in 2027.

The decision was reached jointly by Macron and President Bola Tinubu, according to the France-Nigeria Business Council, which announced on Saturday that the business forum planned around the visit had also been postponed. No new date has been confirmed.

A French presidential source confirmed on Friday that Macron’s planned visit to Nigeria and Senegal had been deferred. The wider West African trip was scheduled for October 28 to 31.

While reports in Nigeria have linked the decision to unrest in France, the French presidential source did not explicitly identify the protests as the reason, describing the West African trip instead as part of a diplomatic and cooperation agenda.

A Nigerian official familiar with the arrangements told TheCable that France’s domestic situation was a factor in the postponement.

“A president will not travel when his home is contending with internal combustion,” the official said.

Premium Times separately reported that concerns included the protests in France, Nigeria’s forthcoming presidential election and the recently confirmed Ebola case in Abuja. The French Embassy declined to comment to the newspaper, while a spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ministry had not received official information about the cancellation at the time of its report.

France-Nigeria business forum also postponed

The 2026 France-Nigeria Business Forum, scheduled for October 29 in Lagos, has been postponed until next year, according to an email from the France-Nigeria Business Council cited by Premium Times.

The council said a revised date and arrangements would be communicated later.

The forum was expected to bring together French and Nigerian businesses to explore investment and commercial partnerships. Macron’s visit was also expected to provide an opportunity for the two governments to review cooperation in trade, energy, security and investment.

France has experienced demonstrations over rising living costs, public services and school conditions. Protests escalated into violence in several cities on October 17, with reports of fires, looting and clashes. Authorities prepared for further demonstrations on Saturday, October 24.

Macron’s visit was expected to build on Tinubu’s trip

The postponed visit was intended to reciprocate Tinubu’s three-day state visit to France in November 2024, during which the two leaders discussed finance, energy transition, solid minerals, trade, investment and communications.

At the time, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu’s visit focused on “strengthening political, economic, and cultural relations and establishing more opportunities for partnership”.

French Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States, Marc Fonbaustier, had described Macron’s planned trip as an opportunity to review the countries’ strategic partnership.

“Together, our two presidents will assess the progress of our roadmap and outline the key elements of our relationship for the years to come,” Fonbaustier said when announcing the visit in July.

“These will undoubtedly be ambitious and mutually beneficial for our two peoples,” he added.

Macron last visited Nigeria as French president in July 2018, when he met former President Muhammadu Buhari and toured the New Afrika Shrine in Lagos.

His second and final presidential term is scheduled to end in May 2027. The new timing for the state visit means the planned engagement will take place closer to the end of his tenure, although no revised date has been announced.

The postponement delays a high-level opportunity for both countries to review existing commitments and set priorities for future cooperation. The next steps will depend on the revised schedule and the arrangements agreed by both governments.