Paris Meeting: Tinubu, Kagame Confer on World Affairs, Africa’s Interests

Paris Meeting: Tinubu, Kagame Confer on World Affairs and Africa’s Interests
Nigeria and Rwanda have maintained strong diplomatic ties since Rwanda’s independence in 1962
Tinubu’s ongoing European trip has attracted

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday held a private lunch meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris, France, as part of ongoing high-level engagements focused on global developments and Africa’s strategic interests.

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Eko Hot Blog reports that the Presidency disclosed the meeting through a photo release showing both leaders in discussion over a meal at what appeared to be a high-end restaurant in the French capital.

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“President Bola Tinubu at a private lunch in Paris with the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, discussing world affairs and advancing Africa. Sunday, January 4, 2026,” the statement read.

The meeting comes about 1 week after Tinubu left Lagos on December 28, 2025, for Europe to continue his end-of-year vacation ahead of official engagements.

Earlier, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had confirmed Tinubu’s departure, noting that the trip precedes his participation in the 2026 Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit.

Tinubu was invited to the summit by the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The weeklong event brings together leaders from government, business and civil society to shape policies on sustainable development and climate action.

Paris Meeting: Tinubu, Kagame Confer on World Affairs, Africa’s Interests

While the Presidency did not officially disclose Tinubu’s full travel itinerary, the President has traditionally spent parts of his annual leave in France and the United Kingdom.

Sunday’s meeting further underscores the close working relationship between Tinubu and Kagame, which has strengthened since Tinubu assumed office in May 2023. Kagame was among African leaders who attended Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29, 2023, in Abuja.

Both leaders last met on January 13, 2025, in Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, where Tinubu described their interaction as “meaningful conversations” centred on Africa’s development.

At the time, Tinubu said Africa possesses the resources, manpower and capacity to drive its own growth, urging stronger intra-African trade and collaboration to improve the continent’s fortunes.

Nigeria and Rwanda have maintained strong diplomatic ties since Rwanda’s independence in 1962, cooperating across bilateral and multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, African Union and Commonwealth of Nations.

Their relationship has been bolstered by agreements including a Bilateral Air Service Agreement enabling multiple weekly RwandAir flights to Abuja and Lagos, as well as the deployment of Nigerian professionals to Rwanda under the Technical Aids Corps scheme.

However, Tinubu’s ongoing European trip has attracted criticism from opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress and the Labour Party, which faulted the President for travelling abroad amid rising insecurity challenges at home.

Data compiled by PUNCH Online show that Tinubu undertook 10 foreign trips in 2025, spanning Africa, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and South America, largely focused on economic diplomacy, climate talks and regional cooperation.

Since taking office on May 29, 2023, the President has embarked on at least 46 foreign trips, spending an estimated 192 days outside the country as of October 2025.