Another thing that his aides have not been able to explain is his international itinerary, particularly the frequency of his trips to France. Shortly before his inauguration in 2023, Tinubu reportedly traveled to the American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine for a medical checkup. Between May 2023, when he was sworn in, and April 2025, Tinubu undertook five separate visits to France. Over the course of his presidency, he has visited France nine times under various auspices: “private trip,” working visit,” and “private visit.” The frequency of Tinubu’s trips to France is puzzling for two reasons. One, even when his visit is to other countries, he invariably manages to find room for a quick dash to France, as was indeed the case with his most recent trip where he started in London only to end up in, you guessed right, France. Second, there is scant evidence of a shift in diplomatic focus or a significant strengthening of ties with France such as to justify repeated visits to the country. Such solidarity, as it were, would be uniquely one-sided considering that French President Emmanuel Macron has never reciprocated with a visit to Abuja since Tinubu assumed office. Macron’s last visit to Nigeria was back in July 2018.
Source: www.cfr.org
