- L-R: Olusanya Olakunle, Director, Fanmilk (Danone); Uhabia Ojike, Guillaume Niarfeix, President Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Denis Martin, Managing Director, CFAO Mobility Nigeria; Muyiwa Akinyemi, Deputy Managing Director, United Bank of Africa; Laurent Favier, Consul General of France in Lagos; Adobi Nwapa, Executive Director, Zenith Bank; and Innocent C. Ike, Group Chief Executive Officer, Access Holdings, at the French Week 2025 Business Forum at Access Towers in Lagos… recently
Admin I Sunday, Nov. 15, 2025
LAGOS, Nigeria – Senior officials, diplomats, and business leaders from France and Nigeria gathered at the French Week Economic Summit in Lagos last week, issuing a unified call for enhanced bilateral cooperation focused on private-sector-led initiatives, strategic investment, and sustainable growth.
The summit, convened under the theme “France–Nigeria Commercial Relations: Leveraging Partnership for Growth,” marks its third consecutive year as a key platform for high-level dialogue between the nations.
Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, President of the France–Nigeria Business Council (FNBC) and Chairman of Access Holdings Plc, stressed the imperative for practical partnerships and private-sector leadership to reinforce commercial ties, noting the Council’s success in deepening cooperation across energy, infrastructure, finance, and culture since its 2019 inauguration by President Emmanuel Macron.
A New Financial Hub Emerges
A major announcement from the event came from the Lagos State Commissioner for Commerce, Cooperatives, Trade, and Investment, Folashade Ambrose-Medebem. She revealed the impending launch of the Lagos International Financial Centre (LIFC), a transformative platform designed to attract global financial institutions, drive foreign investment, and promote financial innovation across the West African region.
“It will serve as a strong platform for global investors, innovators, and businesses to converge,” Ambrose-Medebem said, promising further details on its formal launch within the coming year.
Green Infrastructure Takes Priority
The summit placed a significant emphasis on environmental restoration as a catalyst for economic opportunity, highlighting major bilateral projects.
Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede detailed the AGORA Project, a joint France–Africa initiative focused on reimagining urban sustainability through green mobility, environmentally conscious infrastructure, and digital integration.
Further underscoring this commitment is the Omi Eko Initiative, a collaboration between the Lagos State Government, French technical partners, and Nigerian private-sector institutions aimed at sustainably restoring the Lagos Lagoon. This initiative is projected to mobilise over €60 million (₦100 billion) in green-infrastructure investments, create more than 2,000 jobs, and cut annual carbon emissions by 31,000 tons of CO_2.
The Commissioner also referenced the wider €410 million Lagos State effort to modernise water transportation through a network of safe, efficient electric ferries, further solidifying the state’s focus on sustainable urban development.
Creative Economy and Climate Transition
Beyond infrastructure, Mr. Aig-Imoukhuede urged financial institutions to view the creative sector as a strategic growth industry and a viable export market, referencing collaborations like the Tate Modern “Nigeria Modernism” Exhibition.
Addressing global climate transitions, he called for expanded collaboration in renewable energy, stating that France’s leadership in green technology, paired with Nigeria’s natural resources, positions the nations for impactful joint investments in solar, hydro, wind, and cleaner gas solutions.
He concluded by encouraging participants to move beyond dialogue to deliver measurable milestones and sustainable outcomes, reaffirming the commitment of the FNBC and Access Holdings Plc to fostering deeper commercial ties and shared prosperity.
