The Lagos Business School (LBS) and the French Government have spotlighted agribusiness and food systems as priority areas for deeper cooperation between Nigeria and France, emphasizing partnerships in value chains, logistics, agro-processing, and agricultural technology.
The call was made at the France-Nigeria Business & Human Capital Development Forum held in Lagos on Wednesday, where stakeholders underscored agriculture’s role in driving innovation, food security, and rural development.
Speaking during a high-level dialogue with LBS Dean, Prof. Olayinka David-West, the French Ambassador to Nigeria and Representative to ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier, said Nigeria has yet to realize its full potential as Africa’s agri-food powerhouse despite its abundant resources.
“You should become the agri-food hub of Africa one day. France has expertise in value-added chains, food preservation, processing, and distribution systems. On this field, there is really common ground not for transfer but co-construction, respecting Nigeria’s sovereignty,” Fonbaustier said.
He stressed that agriculture remains a central pillar of France-Nigeria cooperation, extending beyond food production to include innovation, climate resilience, digital transformation, and sustainable farming practices.
He pledged France’s support for Nigerian universities, researchers, start-ups, and businesses to strengthen competitiveness across the agricultural value chain.
Prof. David-West highlighted agriculture as a critical sector requiring stronger collaboration, noting LBS’s ongoing agribusiness programmes and research initiatives aimed at addressing structural challenges such as poor data availability.
She also called for greater faculty and student mobility, knowledge exchange, and co-created systems to deepen bilateral cooperation.
The forum also emphasized human capital development as a defining pillar of future relations, with Fonbaustier noting that the number of Nigerian students studying in France has surged by 283 per cent in the past five years.
“France is committed to walking this journey alongside Nigeria, not as a competitor but as a trusted, renewable, and long-term partner,” Fonbaustier added.
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