Federal Government Denies Approval For French Military Base In Nigeria

The federal government has swiftly refuted reports claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu approved the establishment of a French military base in Nigeria.

The reports, which suggested that the base would be disguised as a language academy for military training, were dismissed by the Acting Head of Crisis Monitoring & Public Communications at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, in a chat with Daily Trust.

Ebienfa categorically stated, “Not true,” in response to the allegations.

The rumours, which circulated on an online platform, suggested that President Tinubu had succumbed to pressure from French President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to Paris.

The supposed agreement would have seen France set up a military base under the guise of training Nigerian military personnel in the French language, an arrangement that was said to raise concerns due to its strategic and security implications.

The online platform claimed that this covert operation was being concealed to avoid backlash from the National Assembly.

The report also connected the proposed military base to a prior French language laboratory opened at the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna in January 2024, hinting at a broader, more clandestine military cooperation.

This is not the first time such rumours have been debunked. In May 2024, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, denied any such discussions or plans with foreign countries to establish military bases in Nigeria.

He emphasised that no proposals had been made and urged the public to disregard false claims.

The French Embassy in Nigeria also aligned with the federal government’s stance, dismissing the allegations as untrue.

These denials came on the heels of a letter from northern elders to President Tinubu and the National Assembly, warning against defence agreements with France and the United States.

The letter raised concerns over the potential for foreign military presence to undermine Nigeria’s defence strategy, citing the increase in terrorism across the Sahel despite the involvement of foreign troops.

The letter also reflected growing dissatisfaction with France’s role in Africa, particularly in its former colonies. Anti-French sentiment has been rising in countries like Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger, where large-scale protests have called for an end to France’s military presence.

Recent geopolitical shifts and growing anti-colonial sentiments in Africa have led to the termination of several military agreements with France.

Notably, the French-led Operation Barkhane, a counterinsurgency mission launched in 2014, ended in 2022. Following its conclusion, countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso severed ties with France, citing dissatisfaction with the failure to address security threats.

In response to the growing calls for sovereignty, France has seen its military presence in the region diminish. Troops were withdrawn from Mali and Burkina Faso in 2022 and 2023, respectively, and in 2023, Niger also expelled French forces.

Chad became the latest African nation to order the removal of French troops, signalling the broader shift away from France’s military influence in the region.