FG again denies approving French military base in Nigeria

The federal government has again denied reports alleging that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment of a French military base in Nigeria.  The denial came in response to a claim published by an online news outlet, which suggested that France would establish a military base in Abuja under the pretext of setting up a language academy to train Nigerian military personnel in French. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, the Acting Head of Crisis Monitoring & Public Communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dismissed the claim in a brief comment, stating that the report was not true. The original report had claimed, citing anonymous sources, that President Tinubu had yielded to pressure from French President Emmanuel Macron during a recent visit to Paris. It further alleged that the project was being discreetly advanced to avoid scrutiny and possible resistance from Nigerias National Assembly due to its sensitive strategic and security implications. The report also drew a connection to the launch of a French language laboratory at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna in January 2024. The federal government had previously addressed similar concerns. In May 2024, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, categorically stated that Nigeria was not in discussions with any foreign power regarding the establishment of military bases. He urged the public to disregard such reports and reiterated the governments focus on strengthening existing international security cooperation without compromising Nigerias sovereignty. Likewise, the French Embassy in Nigeria had also denied involvement in any such military arrangements, aligning itself with Nigerias official position. These reaffirmations followed a letter reportedly sent by northern elders to President Tinubu and leaders of the National Assembly, warning against entering into defence agreements with the United States and France. The elders raised alarms about foreign lobbying to redeploy troops formerly stationed in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger to Nigerian soil. They argued that such agreements could compromise Nigerias strategic autonomy and pointed to the failure of foreign military interventions in the Sahel to curb terrorism. France has faced growing resistance across West and Central Africa, where public opinion has increasingly turned against its post-colonial influence. Mass protests have erupted in several Francophone countries, including Mali and Cte dIvoire, with demonstrators calling for a complete severance of ties with France. Frances colonial history in Africa, particularly its policy of direct rule and post-independence ties with African elites, often labelled Francafrique, has fueled long-standing resentment. French troops, companies, and influence have remained deeply entrenched across the region, leading to criticism that France continues to benefit economically while contributing little to regional stability. In recent years, a wave of African nations has expelled French military forces from their territories. Until 2022, French troops operated in countries such as Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Gabon, Cte dIvoire, and Senegal. However, with the end of Operation Barkhane in 2022, Frances flagship counterterrorism mission in the Sahel, countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso terminated defence agreements with France, accusing it of ineffectiveness and undue interference. Following President Emmanuel Macrons June 2021 announcement of a gradual military withdrawal from the Sahel, French troops were pulled out of Mali in August 2022, Burkina Faso in February 2023, and Niger by December 2023. Chad joined the list in November 2024, with France beginning a phased withdrawal of the roughly 1,000 troops stationed there. The process is expected to be completed by January 2025.  The post FG again denies approving French military base in Nigeria appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.