President Bola Tinubu has met billionaire businessman Femi Otedola at a private dinner in Paris, France, as the Nigerian leader continues his extended stay in Europe.
Otedola disclosed the meeting in a post on his social media account on Tuesday, September 29, sharing a photograph of himself and Tinubu together at the private gathering.
The businessman used the occasion to express his support for the economic direction of the Tinubu administration, describing the President’s reforms as bold and forward-looking.
Otedola said the reforms had placed Nigeria’s economy on what he described as a path toward sustainable growth, signalling his public backing for the government’s economic programme.
He also pointed to developments in Nigeria’s capital market, foreign investment and foreign exchange environment as areas where he said the effects of the reforms were becoming increasingly visible.
The meeting comes as Tinubu remains in Europe during an extended annual leave that began on August 30, with the President spending part of the period in London before travelling to Paris.
Tinubu’s stay in France has included several official and business-related engagements, including a private dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Élysée Palace earlier in September.
The President has also held discussions with international business figures during his European engagements, with investment, industrial development and Nigeria’s creative economy featuring among the issues raised.
Otedola, a prominent Nigerian businessman and chairman of Geregu Power Plc, has previously spoken publicly about economic and investment issues affecting Nigeria and the country’s business environment.
His latest comments came shortly after the private dinner with Tinubu, making the meeting notable against the backdrop of continuing debate over the impact of the Federal Government’s economic policies.
Since taking office in 2023, Tinubu’s administration has implemented major policy changes, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and reforms to the foreign exchange system.
The government has maintained that the reforms are intended to strengthen economic stability, attract investment and create conditions for longer-term growth, while acknowledging the adjustment pressures associated with the changes.
The administration has also highlighted efforts in areas including infrastructure, power, education, domestic refining and investment as part of its broader economic programme.
Otedola’s remarks therefore add another prominent business voice to the ongoing public discussion about the direction and effects of the reforms.
The billionaire did not announce any new investment agreement or government appointment arising from the dinner, and neither PUNCH nor the other reports reviewed indicated that a specific transaction was concluded during the meeting.
Instead, the publicly disclosed focus of the encounter was Otedola’s assessment of the administration’s economic direction and his expression of support for the reforms.
The Paris meeting also comes at a politically significant period, with Nigeria already looking ahead to the 2027 general election and Tinubu seeking a second term in office.
The President’s economic record is expected to remain a major issue in the political debate, with supporters of the administration highlighting reforms and opposition figures offering different assessments and policy alternatives.
For Otedola, the latest comments represent a public expression of confidence in the direction of the reforms, while the private nature of the dinner means that details of any wider discussions between the two men have not been made public.
Tinubu is expected to continue his European engagements before returning to Nigeria, following a period that has combined personal leave with diplomatic and investment-related meetings.
The encounter with Otedola adds another business engagement to the President’s Paris itinerary and keeps attention on the administration’s efforts to attract investment and defend its economic policy direction.