Gains of Macron’s historic state visit to Nigeria

All our visitors make us happy. Some, when they come, others when they go.

-          Author unknown

French President, Emmanuel Macron, is here with us on a two-day state visit. In his itinerary is a bilateral meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on issues bordering on insecurity, terrorism, commissioning of Alliance Francaise office in Ikoyi and visit to Afrika Shrine in Ikeja, Lagos. I was on Radio Nigeria 7am news yesterday to analyse the importance and gains of the French President’s visit, beginning with his intention to discuss insurgency and insecurity with Buhari.

In my opinion, this is a welcome development. Terrorism has become a global phenomenon, which France had also tasted bitterly. It would be recalled that between January 7 and 9, 2015 a total of 17 people were killed in terror attacks ignited by a publication in the French satirical weekly magazine, Charlie Hebdo; a kosher grocery store and the Paris suburb of Montrouge. Three suspects in the attacks were killed by police in separate standoffs, according to Cable News Network.  Nigeria has also been having a running battle with insurgents, killer herders and other bandits. Therefore, it is going to be mutually beneficial to share intelligence and work collaboratively to tackle this hydra-headed monster, which was part of the issues discussed at the just concluded 31 Ordinary Summit of the Africa Union held at Nouakchott, Mauritania over the weekend. Nigeria also stands to gain military assistance in the form of capacity building for our security agencies, as well as military hardware support from the French Government.

The commissioning of a new complex of the French cultural organisation, Alliance Francaise, today in Lagos is also very significant. According to news reports, Alliance Française is a non-profit making association devoted to promoting French language and culture. It has 10 active representations in Enugu, Ibadan, Ilorin, Jos, Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Maiduguri, Owerri and Port Harcourt. The organisation has three broad objectives; namely, teaching of French worldwide with classes for all types of audiences, making French culture and the culture of French speaking countries better known, as well as fostering cultural diversity through the promotion of all cultures. The French language is very popular in Nigeria, although we are an Anglophone country. The language is being taught in the country from primary school to tertiary level. In fact, Nigeria has a French Language Village in Badagry, Lagos, which was established in 1991 when Prof. Babatunde Fafunwa was minister of education. It was meant to promote the study of the French Language in Nigeria.

Out of the three reasons made available to the public for Macron’s visit, the most significant one to me is his historic visit to Afrika Shrine yesterday, July 3, 2018. The incumbent French President, who trained in Nigeria as a Senior Civil Servant in 2004, must has been so enamoured of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti’s Afrobeat music that he has ordered a visit to his nightclub as part of his itinerary. This visit is historic in many respects. First, Macron is the first foreign President to officially visit the Afrika Shrine. This is a huge endorsement for the club-house founded by Fela. The norm used to be that when special guests visit Nigeria, a gala night is often organised in their honour. Such a treat usually takes place inside the fortified Aso Villa Banquet Hall where selected cultural troupes in the country are engaged to entertain the guests. In a rare twist of fortune, Macron has opted to go see the unique cultural institution called Afrika Shrine himself.

Macron’s visit has placed the Shrine on the global map, considering the number of international media and dignitaries who accompanied the French President to the place. That visit has also boosted the tourism potential of Lagos State and Nigeria as a whole. It shows that this country has something to offer the world, in terms of entertainment, culture, music, dance and art.

I am using this medium to appreciate and seek a posthumous national award for Fela Anikulapo-Kuti (15 October 1938 – 2 August 1997), Nigeria’s maverick music icon. In his lifetime Fela, was reportedly more popular than the Nigerian President, especially in France. He was to Nigeria what Bob Marley was to Jamaica. While Marley promoted reggae music, Fela created afro beat, his own unique selling point. The ‘Abami Eda’ used his talent to fight oppression, human right abuses and injustices. Fela was fearless. He was a thorn in the flesh of the misgoverning ruling elite, who took turns to incarcerate him on many occasions. I was surprised to hear Fela’s music being played at a big music shop in Geneva, Switzerland during my visit there in 2005. In my undergraduate days at the University of Lagos, Fela’s music was always used to kick start any major event organised by the Student Union of the institution, especially protest marches. The celebrated musician released about 50 albums in his illustrious music career that spanned decades. While many of his songs can be tagged protest songs, he also sang about love, social ills and the likes. Songs like Lady, Shakara, Yellow Fever, Open and Close, Na Poi and Water no get enemy are in this category.

Fela’s music has continued to be relevant because, like a prophet, the social ills he saw and sang about decades ago are still with us today and things seems to be getting worse. I appreciate the fact that this music legend is being annually celebrated in music concert known as Felabration. It is also heartwarming that the Lagos State government has turned his house in Lagos to a museum. Two of his children, Femi and Seun, have also carried on their dad’s legacy and making waves with Afro Beat music. Femi in particular has had four Grammy award nominations and I pray he will win it one day soon.

Now, the challenge for Nigeria is to build on the positive fallout of Macron’s visit. I propose that the place should be turned into a national monument, a UNESCO heritage site. This is because of its symbolism and identity as the root of afro beat music. I commend the yeo-man efforts of the Director-General of the National Council for Arts and Culture, Otunba Segun Runsewe and his counterpart at the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation, Mr. Folorunsho Coker, to market Nigeria’s tourism potentials. However, there is a snag.

Until we contain the raging insecurity in the country, all efforts to attract inbound tourists to Nigeria will yield very little results. Foreigners will not risk their lives coming into an unsecure environment. That is why what is going on in Plateau State calls for concern. The tourism and hospitality business in that state has been badly affected by the lingering conflict in that ‘State of Tourism’ the same way as food insecurity looms in the country as a result of the protracted Boko Haram insurgency and the attacks by killer herdsmen ravaging the country’s major food producing states. A stich in time saves nine.