Nigerian President Bola Tinubu is set to embark on a two-week visit to France, while Foreign ministers from three West African countries—Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger— are in Moscow to enhance their diplomatic ties with Russia.
The ministers will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Thursday, following their decision to sever ties with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which Tinubu leads. The three countries, having distanced themselves from ECOWAS since last year, have instead formed the Alliance of Sahel States to bolster cooperation on security, economic, and development matters.
In a broader shift away from traditional Western alliances, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have also cut their ties with France, expelling French troops and reducing economic relations. These nations have increasingly turned to Russia and Türkiye, fostering deeper diplomatic, security, and economic partnerships. Tinubu’s visit to Paris, while not immediately linked to the Moscow trip, is viewed as part of his reflection on his administration’s reforms and midterm performance. The Nigerian presidency emphasized that the visit will allow Tinubu to assess key milestones and accelerate ongoing reforms to spur national development.
Tensions surrounding Nigeria’s relationship with Niger have also emerged, with accusations from Niger that Abuja is colluding with Paris to destabilize the country—an allegation the Nigerian government has firmly denied. Tinubu’s visit to France, following his November trip that reinforced Nigeria’s ties with the former colonial power, has raised concerns among some in West Africa, who fear a shift toward Western influence amidst growing regional isolation of France.