Nigeria should make attracting French automobile manufacturers coming to open electric car plants her main target at the forthcoming Franco-African trade summit coming up in June

By Ayo Akinfe

(1) Between June 4 and 6 later this year, France will become the next country to host an African economic summit. As was the recent case with the Chinese, Japanese, Russian and UK summits, at this French conference, 54 African leaders will be brought together to discuss investment opportunities

(2) What makes the French summit unique though is its emphasis on the environment, clean energy and an emphasis on the subject of climate change

(3) When they all gather in Bordeaux, the summit will among other things seek to develop long-lasting innovative urban ecosystems that stimulate maximum economic activity for minimal investment, while accelerating the establishment of a structure integrating the economic sectors that form sustainability

(4) I also find it interesting that France is trying hard to shed its colonial and imperialist approach towards Africa. This Bordeaux summit will also focus on sport and culture, rallying everyone around two big events. These are a football match between Africa and France at the Matmut Atlantique stadium and an urban music concert at Place des Quinconces

(5) No doubt France will make a lot of propaganda out of this event but Africa must hold the French to account. We want them to put their money with their mouths are

(6) For starters, President Buhari should be demanding that the French automobile makers Citroen, Peugeot and Renault all open manufacturing facilities in Nigeria. They are talking about electric cars so let us make say somewhere like Abeokuta Africa’s electric car city where we assemble say 5,000 cars a month

(7) This should be backed up by a manufacturing facility, maybe located close to Ajaokuta. Nothing stops all these French car giants from owning a Nigerian joint venture that manufactures all their parts and then ships them to the assembly plants

(8) France also prides itself on its famous wind farms. For instance, in France, one 10MW wind farm of around three to five turbines, produces enough electricity each year for the domestic needs of around 9,000 people. Nigeria has an Atlantic coastline of 853km. President Buhari should insist that the French invest in a Badagry to Calabar windmill wall

(9) I am yet to see any French investment in our energy sector. EDF is a French company but has not bought one of our struggling distribution companies, opened one solar panel manufacturing plant or invested $1 in a hydro-electric power facility. This is totally unacceptable and President Buhari should read then the riot act. Nigeria is not just a colonial dumping ground for French finished products

(10) For all France’s sins and crimes in Africa, one thing I love about the country is it’s rich history. They gave us the first workers commune, the first overthrow of a major monarchy, the beheading of corrupt public officials, the storming of the Bastille, the bill of rights, the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity and then that beautiful song the La Marseillaise, which is now there national anthem. It was also a Frenchman who wrote L’Interntionale and a Frenchman who gave us the Fifa World Cup. While in France, I think President Buhari should produce a documentary showing him visiting all these locations and talking about them. It will go a long way with our own public reorientation plan. I think it is important that every Nigerian knows the history of La Guillotine for instance.