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Nigeria Won’t Break Ties With France Over Niger, Others
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
President Bola Tinubu’s administration has said Nigeria will not break ties with Franceover the military regimes in the Republic of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali.
Nigeria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggah, while speaking in an interview on Arise News Television’s Prime Time programme on Wednesday said the call by some Nigerians for Nigeria to cut ties with France is myopic and against Nigeria’s national interest as a country.
The minister said, “For Nigeria as a whole, I have some locus to speak on behalf of Nigeria.
“It is insulting to Nigeria and Nigerians for anyone to look at Nigeria and say that they are on course after I finished describing all of these things – Operation Barkhane, G-5 Sahel.
“Were we the ones that were partnering with France on that? Were we the ones that passed the law in 2015, ? Were we the ones that partnered on the arrangement that criminalised migration, that securitised the Sahel region? No!”
The minister was confronted about an alleged ‘renewed partnership’ between Nigeria and France.
The minister said, “What I will like to see is journalist like you (referring to the anchor of the interview), and certain Nigerians that have been whipping up this position of minority and certain people that spoke out in third world countries is to actually look at how they are allowed to even come to actually speak and criticise or to make these porous allegations.
“The countries that they are trying to defend, like Niger, at the moment the way things are, you cannot even come out to speak. They are not operating on constitution.
“The reason we are able to do all of these is because we have the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria which safeguard, which guarantee our right to free speech, our right to free association, and all these freedoms.
“I would like to see us speak for Nigeria for change instead of always speaking for regimes that do not even have constitutions to protect their own people. Their own people cannot even come out to criticise the government.”
“Yet, we keep on going on with all these attacks on our own government, on ourselves,” he said.
When asked about the implications of a ‘renewed partnership’ between Nigeria and France, he said, “We have always had a relationship with France. It did not start today, and there is nothing different about our relationship with France today.
“But it does not mean that other countries or other people have to dictate to Nigeria who it should have a relationship with.
“We cannot tackle the issue of insecurity in our region simply by a partnership or by being friends with the Sahel countries. Even if we do that, you still have Libya to contend with.”
He added, “To solve Libya, we need a relationship with France, we need a relationship with the United States of America, we need a relationship with Russia, we need a relationship with all of these major powers.
“You cannot say because Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali have decided after all these years, that they no longer want to have anything to do with France, therefore, Nigeria must be compelled.
“Meanwhile, Nigeria is the senior partner in the relationship than them, then because they decided that they don’t want to have a relationship with France, they must dictate to us and we must comply. We should no longer have any relationship with France!
“It is shortsighted, it is myopic and it is not in Nigeria’s national interest, which is something that President Tinubu, myself and everybody in government or in public office from top to bottom has sworn to, to protect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and that is enshrined in the constitution.”
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has granted an immediate waiver of fees for the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) for the Nigerian Law School’s Abuja campus in Bwari.
Speaking during a meeting with the school’s management in Abuja, Wike also declared an “emergency” on the construction of staff quarters and other critical infrastructure to enhance the institution’s learning environment.
Responding to an appeal from the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Dr. Olugbemisola Titilayo Odusote, Wike expressed surprise that the institution had operated without a C of O since moving to Bwari.
He described the lack of official documentation for government institutions as a trend that his administration is actively correcting.
The Minister directed the Director of Lands to waive all processing fees for the school’s C of O, and issued a firm directive to ensure the document is processed and ready within one week.
He noted that regularizing the land is essential to move the school from what he colloquially termed an “illegal session” to rightful ownership.
Beyond land matters, the Minister committed the FCT Administration (FCTA) to several high-priority projects aimed at resolving overcrowding and improving staff efficiency.
Wike announced that 10 staff quarters have already been completed and will be commissioned as part of the President’s third anniversary.
He further pledged to construct an additional 10 units using existing prototypes to save on design costs.
According to him, work is progressing on two new hostels—one for male students and one for female students—to alleviate overcrowding.
The Minister confirmed he has approved the budget for a new auditorium and questioned why the contractor had not yet moved to the site.
To modernize administrative functions, Wike directed the school to liaise with the FCTA General Counsel, to explore digitization solutions similar to ongoing efforts at the FCT High Court.
Wike emphasized that these interventions are part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader agenda to support legal education and the judiciary.
He noted that the President is currently constructing “presidential apartments” for judges to ensure their security, welfare, and autonomy.
”Anything we can do to help our children, we are willing to do that,” Wike stated, adding that the staff quarters must be treated as an emergency project to ensure rapid delivery.
Earlier, Dr. Odusote congratulated the Minister on his appointment and praised the visible infrastructure developments across the FCT, while highlighting the specific challenges of disrepair and infrastructure deficits facing the Law School.
Nigeria’s Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has assured investors that the government will stay the course on economic reforms, declaring that policy reversals will not define the current phase of the country’s economic management.
The Minister stated this while speaking at the launch of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group Private Sector Outlook 2026 in Lagos on Thursday.
Oyedele said the administration is shifting from stabilisation to measurable growth, where reforms will be judged by outcomes rather than intent.
His comments came barely 48 hours after he assumed office, following the exit of Wale Edun from the Federal Executive Council.
“We are not looking back,” Oyedele said, stressing that consistency in policy direction remains critical to investor confidence.
He warned that mixed signals or abrupt reversals could stall progress, noting that “businesses need to know that today’s decisions will still hold tomorrow.”
While pointing to early signs of macroeconomic stabilisation, including a more aligned exchange rate and improved revenue performance, the minister said these gains must translate into tangible outcomes such as job creation, productivity growth and better living standards.
He identified four priorities for driving investment in the next phase which includes, policy consistency, predictability across fiscal and regulatory frameworks, reduction in the cost of doing business, and improved access to capital.
On financing, Oyedele said the government is working to expand credit across the economy, from consumer lending to industrial financing, with support from institutions such as the Bank of Industry, to stimulate growth and unlock private sector participation.
He added that Nigeria must target stronger real GDP per capita growth to make a meaningful impact on poverty, noting that modest growth figures would not be sufficient given the country’s population dynamics.
The minister further described the current stage of reforms as decisive, where success will depend on execution. “Reforms on their own do not create growth. We need investment at scale,” he said, adding that investors respond to stable and predictable environments, not policy announcements.
On the area of productivity, Oyedele said Nigeria must move beyond consumption-driven expansion and focus on improving output and competitiveness in key sectors, including agriculture, manufacturing, energy and the digital economy.
He also called for deeper collaboration between government and the private sector, maintaining that economic growth cannot be delivered by public policy alone.
As the country enters what he termed a consolidation phase, Oyedele said the government would continue to deepen reforms, strengthen public financial management and improve coordination across all tiers of government.
He, however, acknowledged risks, including reform fatigue, inflationary pressures from global uncertainties, and political tensions ahead of the election cycle, but maintained that these challenges are surmountable with discipline and cooperation.
“Our task now is execution,” Oyedele said.
“This phase demands focus, consistency and accountability. That is the direction we are pursuing he added
The Federal Capital Territory FCT minister Nyesom Wike is presently holding a meeting with primary school teachers in the Territory over ongoing strike.
Watch:
Wike waives C-of-O fees for Nigerian Law School, orders emergency staff housing(Photos)
We’re not going to reverse reforms, Finance Minister, Oyedele tells investors
FCT minister Wike engages teachers over strike(Video)
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