Postponed: Confusion over Buhari arrived Paris to attend Africa Finance summit

There is confusion among Nigerians over President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Paris, France, the nation’s capital on Sunday to attend Africa-Finance summit.

Nigerians on Sunday have attacked President Buhari on social media; they claimed that the event that Mr. President to attend has been postponed four days before the president departed Abuja for France.

According to one of the France Newspapers, rfi reported that the Africa-France summit has been postponed to October due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.

“The Africa-France summit, which was to be held in early July in Montpellier, southern France, has been pushed back to early October because travel constraints linked to the Covid-19 epidemic will be “insufficiently lifted this summer”, the town hall announced on Friday”, rfi reports.

The newspaper published the news on Friday, May 14, 2021, at 11:48am Nigeria time.

But Newsflash Nigeria gathered that the African-Finance summit is difference from African-France summit.

Newsflash Nigeria gathered that a dozen African leaders, several European leaders and a dozen heads of international organizations would be received on Tuesday, May 18 by French president Emmanuel Macron for a summit on the revival of the African economy, and the impact of the pandemic.

The aim of the summit, the Elysee says, is to put in place financial resources capable of reviving the economy of the continent, which has seen only 130,000 deaths from Covid according to official figures, but whose GDP should experience its first recession in 25 years in 2021.

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Growth should return to positive territory in 2022 but at a lower rate than in more developed countries, with a risk of “divergence”, the Elysée stressed.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday afternoon, May 16, departed Abuja for Paris, France to attend the Africa-Finance summit which scheduled on Tuesday, May 18.

According to the presidency tweeted on Sunday said the President Buhari is expected to attend the African Finance Summit as well as hold critical bilateral talks with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, on a range of issues, including security.

The President departed Abuja around 3:14pm.

The Presidency tweeted on Sunday night, attaching pictures of the president’s arrival in France.

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Announcing the President’s departure on his verified Twitter handle, @BashirAhmaad on Sunday, Personal Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, stated some of the President’s itinerary in France for the four-day official visit.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja for Paris, France ahead of the African Finance Summit which will be focused on reviewing African economy, following shocks from COVID-19 pandemic, and getting relief, especially from increased debt burden on countries,” Ahmad said.

The Presidency on Saturday disclosed the President’s plan to attend the African Finance Summit in Paris, as well as his scheduled meeting with President Macron on a range of issues, including security.

In a statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Saturday, the Presidency had said President Buhari would also be having talks with key players in the oil and gas, technology and telecommunications sectors, as well as representatives of the European Union (EU) and others.

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“The Summit, to be hosted by President Emmanuel Macron, will draw major stakeholders in the global finance institutions and some Heads of Government, who will, collectively, discuss external funding and debt treatment for Africa, and private sector reforms.

“During the visit, President Buhari will meet with the French President to discuss growing security threats in Sahel and Lake Chad region, political relations, economic ties, climate change and partnership in buoying the health sector, particularly in checking spread of Covid-19, with more research and vaccines.

“Before returning to Nigeria, President Buhari will receive some key players in the oil and gas sector, engineering and telecommunications, European Council and European Union Representative for Foreign and Security Policy and Commission, and members of the Nigerian community”, the Presidency had revealed.

He was accompanied to France by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, Minister of Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, and Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire.

Also on the trip were the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (Rtd.) and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.

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