Laurent Favier, the consul general of France in Lagos, has stated that he is committed to strengthening France’s trade and economic ties with Nigeria.
Favier made this revelation at the third CEO luncheon series, which was held in Lagos and was sponsored by the Franco-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) and KPMG.
He said that he was given the authority to implement strict programs and initiatives that harmonize bilateral relations because of his experience as a career diplomat and as head of division at the directorate of economic diplomacy in Paris, France.
“Between France and Nigeria, we are not starting from scratch; we have been sharing a long-lasting relationship. Nigeria is, by far, France’s first partner in West Africa and the fourth on the whole continent immediately after Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.”
“Today, we have active French companies in Nigeria who generate 10,000 direct jobs and a lot of cash of course. We want to go further and match further. I know I can count on the tireless effort of our economic team, the chamber, the economic regional department at the embassy, the French development agency and business fronts.”
“This is what we call team France, and you can count on us to strengthen our economic ties and to further advance French presence in Nigeria. The essence of the relationship means that it works both ways, which is why one of my second priorities in Nigeria is to strengthen the attractiveness of France for Nigerian investors. France must be seen as a fertile ground for investment opportunities for foreign companies and Nigerian companies are part of them.”
According to all attractiveness studies conducted over the last four years, France is the most beautiful country in Europe. Thus, there is a ton of potential for our commercial ties with France or Nigeria. I’m hoping that every CEO who is already a part of these connections will serve as an evangelist for strengthening our commercial ties. Together, let’s promote French nationals living in Nigeria and Nigerian nationals living in France.
Tola Adeyemi, chairman of KPMG West Africa, advised CEOs to foresee disruptions in the workplace, assemble a solid team, and devise a calculated response.
According to Adeyemi, listening to customers’ requirements for growth is a strategy for sustainable growth in the face of change, and innovation is essential for fostering a creative culture. According to him, CEOs need to take advantage of collaborations that will foster innovation in addition to being persistent in order to manage expansion while keeping an eye on the big picture.
