Nigeria, France deepen cooperation in agribusiness

The Lagos Business School and the French Government have identified agribusiness and food systems as key areas for deeper collaboration between Nigeria and France, with both parties pushing for partnerships in value chains, logistics, agro-processing, and agricultural technology to unlock Nigeria’s agricultural potential.

They made the call at the France-Nigeria Business & Human Capital Development Forum held in Lagos on Wednesday.

Speaking during a high-level conversation with the Dean of Lagos Business School, Prof Olayinka David-West, the Ambassador of France to Nigeria and Representative to ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier, said Nigeria had yet to realise its full potential as Africa’s agri-food powerhouse despite possessing the resources to achieve that status.

Fonbaustier said France could support Nigeria through expertise in agricultural value chains, food preservation, processing, and distribution systems.

“We have an edge. Let’s be honest. You have not reached your potential in Nigeria.

The potential is extraordinary. You should become, I think, the agri-food hub of Africa one day. You have the means to reach that. But in France, we have probably expertise in value-added chains, transformation and processing, the way to cool food and to store it, the way to process it and to distribute the food to markets,” Fonbaustier said.

He added, “On this field, I think there is really a common ground, not for transfer but co-construction. I insist on co-construction, respecting the partner and the sovereignty of Nigeria.”

The envoy said agriculture remained one of the strongest pillars of France-Nigeria cooperation because modern agriculture now extends beyond food production to include innovation, climate resilience, food security, and digital transformation.

According to him, “French expertise in agri-tech, sustainable farming, logistics, and agro-processing can complement Nigeria’s immense agricultural potential to create more resilient food systems and stronger rural economies.”

Fonbaustier also pledged France’s support for Nigerian universities, researchers, start-ups, and businesses to drive innovation and competitiveness across the agricultural value chain.

Earlier, David-West said agriculture had emerged as one of the critical sectors requiring stronger collaboration between both countries.

According to her, Lagos Business School has continued to support the sector through its agribusiness programmes and research initiatives aimed at addressing structural challenges affecting decision-making and productivity.

“Agriculture is one of them. As you know, we have the agribusiness programmes that we run. Yesterday, we had an event talking about agribusiness and data, and the paucity of data in that sector that leads to wrong decisions, bad decisions, and mistakes,” David-West said.

She added, “Technical assistance and the ability to co-create structures and systems is one of those areas.”

The dean stressed the need for stronger knowledge exchange between France and Nigeria, arguing that collaboration should not only focus on preparing African leaders for global business but also help international partners understand the realities of operating in Nigeria and Africa.

David-West further advocated greater faculty and student mobility, saying stronger relationships and knowledge sharing would help deepen bilateral cooperation and support ecosystem development across priority sectors.

In her welcome address, she described the forum as an opportunity to strengthen economic growth, innovation, talent development, and sustainable impact between both countries.

“Agribusiness and food systems, technology, artificial intelligence and digital innovation, executive education and capacity building, and academic exchange, research and student mobility provide a valuable platform for identifying practical areas of collaboration and shared value creation,” David-West said.

Fonbaustier also highlighted human capital development as a central pillar of future France-Nigeria relations, noting that the number of Nigerian students studying in France had increased by 283 per cent over the past five years.

He said trust, a shared vision, and human capital would remain the defining pillars of the bilateral relationship over the next decade, adding that France was committed to supporting Nigeria as a long-term and reliable partner.

“France is committed to walking this journey alongside Nigeria, not as a spectator, not as a competitor, but as a trusted, renewable, predictable and long-term partner,” Fonbaustier said.