Minister of France for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot, has pledged to deepen ties with Nigeria in the area of technology especially in the areas of innovation and creating local tools to address local challenges.
Barrot, who spoke on the sidelines of CréationAfrica forum in Lagos at the weekend in Lagos, said France and Nigeria will build tools to enhance the countries strategic autonomy.
According to him, the countries will find the right regulation, such a regulation that will not inhibit innovation, but a regulation that will ensure that technology is not misused and threatens the interest of the citizens.
He said the bilateral relationship between the two countries has never been as tight as it is now, adding that visits of the leadership of the two countries attested to this fact.
He said: “So the relationship between Nigeria and France has probably never been as intense with a lot of visits. President Macron came in 2018 here in Nigeria. President Tinubu was in France last year, and since then, since they decided to build a partnership of equal serving the strategic autonomy of both countries, there has been a huge amount of interaction between administrations, companies, civil society in France and in Nigeria”.
He noted that technology is one field where France, Nigeria, Europe, Africa, have a lot to achieve together.
He said: “We have a common vision of development of the importance of multilateralism, the importance of international law for all topics that spread over borders, over boundaries, over continent, and so we want to work together, both to innovate and create our own tools to build our strategic autonomy, but also to find the right regulation, not a regulation that will inhibit innovation, but a regulation that will prevent that technology is misused and threatens our interests.
“This is the second edition of the forum cast of Africa. What’s this forum? It’s the largest forum dedicated to creative and cultural industries on the African continent. This is the second edition. The first edition took place in France last year, and when President Macron met President Tinubu, who was visiting France last year, he promised that the second edition would take place in Lagos. And this is it. We are there, and we’re seeing very large participation of creative talents coming from all over Africa, 1000 participants coming from 42 countries.
“Eighty of these participant creators are from Nigeria, and I’ve seen a lot of talent and energy in video games, XR, webtoons, cinema, digital design, etc and I’m very proud that we have supported and contributed to this success, because France is at the forefront of creative and cultural industries in Europe, when Nigeria is at the forefront of these industries in Africa.”
And so there is a lot we can achieve together by bringing the talents, bringing the energies, bringing the creators, entrepreneurs, together in the same place, the same room, like we’re doing today in Lagos”.
He recalled that he hosted eight Nigerian governors in April at the Foreign Affairs Ministry of France and had recently hosted Nigerian musician, Davido, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when he performed at the end of a day dedicated to African talents that were hosted in Paris.
“Today in Nigeria, I came to showcase the breadth of the cooperation between our two countries. We’ve just integrated the Omi EKo Project, which is going to deliver decarbonized water transportation to Lagos to reduce transportation time; to reduce transportation budget for Lake oceans with 75 electric boats, 15 new routes, 140 kilometers of service, which will help the city rise against rising sea level and also reduce the carbon footprint with 41,000 tons of CO to suppress with this project that we are supporting with the European Union with 410 million euros. Second example, I’ve inaugurated the renovation of our French Lisa, a French school here in Lagos, serving French citizens, but also Nigerian citizens in a great and beautiful campus. Third example, the first, or the largest ever organized exhibitionFela Kuti that opened its doors four days ago here in Lagos, after I was showcased in Paris, we supported it, and I will finish my visit here in Nigeria, there with the kuti family. So it’s you know, from culture to economy to infrastructure, the cooperation is accelerating and delivered delivering tangible,” Barrot said.
