The Federal Government of Nigeria has once again denied widespread reports claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the establishment of a French military base in the country.
This latest clarification comes in response to a recent online publication alleging that France was planning to set up a military outpost in Abuja under the guise of a language academy designed to train Nigerian military personnel in French. The report, which cited unnamed sources, suggested that the initiative was agreed upon during President Tinubu�s recent visit to Paris, allegedly under pressure from French President Emmanuel Macron.
However, in a swift response, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, Acting Head of Crisis Monitoring & Public Communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dismissed the claim as entirely false.
The report is not true,
he said in a brief but clear statement.
This is not the first time the federal government has had to address such concerns. Back in May 2024, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, emphatically stated that Nigeria was not negotiating with any foreign nation regarding the establishment of military bases. He urged Nigerians to ignore such reports, reaffirming the government�s commitment to strengthening international security partnerships while safeguarding the country�s sovereignty.
Similarly, the French Embassy in Nigeria aligned itself with the federal government�s position, denying any plans or involvement in military base arrangements within Nigeria. Their statement came amid heightened concerns following a letter reportedly sent by a group of northern elders to President Tinubu and the leadership of the National Assembly. In the letter, the elders cautioned against entering into military agreements with France or the United States, warning that such deals could threaten Nigeria�s strategic independence. They also referenced unsuccessful foreign military interventions in neighboring Sahelian countries as reasons for caution.
Critics of foreign military involvement in West Africa have increasingly pointed to France�s diminishing influence in the region. Once a dominant presence through initiatives like Operation Barkhane France�s flagship counter terrorism mission in the Sahel France has seen its military expelled from several countries due to rising anti-French sentiment. Public demonstrations in Mali, Burkina Faso, and C�te d�Ivoire have called for an end to France�s perceived neo-colonial presence in the region.
The wave of resistance is rooted in France�s colonial history and its continued post-independence ties with Francophone African elites, often referred to as �Francafrique.� Though framed as cooperation, critics argue that these ties have benefited France economically while doing little to improve security or development in host nations.
In response to this backlash, France has been steadily withdrawing its troops. By the end of 2023, French forces had exited Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger. Chad followed in November 2024, with the withdrawal of roughly 1,000 troops expected to be completed by January 2025.
Despite the rumors and speculative reports, the Nigerian government has remained firm in its stance: there are no plans secret or public for the establishment of a French military base on Nigerian soil.
