By Kunle Oyatomi
When Ian Fleming (1908-1964), the famous English creator of the James Bond series of espionage novels, returned from a visit to Turkey, he was inspired to write the fiction, From Russia, with Love. It was in the period of the East-West conspiratorial tensions of the Cold War that followed the Second World War. The book therefore is a webbed plot of intrigues and false romance that take the reader to leading European cities including London, Moscow, Paris, Istanbul etc. The action-packed work ends with James Bond delivering a beautiful Russian decoy, Tatiana Romanova and Spektor, her country’s decoding device, to his superiors in Paris.
As the fifth novel by Fleming, it was an instant best seller after release in April 1957. Following this success traced to the writer’s trip to Turkey, many have since examined the role foreign journeys play, not only in the lives of writers, but also in the lives of rulers and statesmen.
So, in the light of President Bola Tinubu’s recent visit to France and South Africa, I did a check on Ian Fleming and the inspiration he got from an overseas voyage. I began to muse on some questions. How do these trips inspire rulers to reshape their thinking? Are such trips needed at all? Can heads of government afford to keep to themselves and practise autarchy? Can we go back into our shells and renounce the concept of globalism as US President-elect Donald Trump has threatened to do in his second coming, beginning from January 2025? These are not mere rhetorical posers. They address real trends.
For instance, the France trip by Tinubu has thrown up a number of issues. First, the history. It was the first time in more than two decades that a Nigerian leader has visited this foremost Franco-European country at a high diplomatic level. Nations establish their relevance internationally only as their leaders and designated representatives crisscross the globe to strike socioeconomic, political, sporting, cultural, military etc. deals. You can’t be an island and progress in this modern, sophisticated and civilized age. So, Tinubu has succeeded in getting Nigeria into the great league of the forward-looking nations of the world. He has also brought back history from its slumber, never to go to bed again under his watch.
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Our president’s journey to France has brought fresh breath to his renewed hope offer to Nigeria and its citizens. Tinubu is boosting his economic vista with two huge agreements with French President Emmanuel Macron, totalling €300 million. These are aimed at developing Nigeria’s critical infrastructure and ensuring food security, among other objectives.
The deals were struck at an economic forum held at the Palais des Elysee in Paris, which brought together key business leaders, industry captains and top government officials from both nations. Official sources who interpreted the multibillion trillion naira agreements say they will drive a variety of sectors including healthcare, transportation, agricultural value chains, renewable energy and human capital development. We must emphasize that these are all strategically aligned with Nigeria’s long-term goals of moving the nation and citizens beyond the present static vision.
When President Tinubu himself spoke of this outcome of the France trip, he did stress the importance of enhancing relations with France and leveraging this partnership to strengthen Nigeria’s growth. “The two countries reaffirmed their commitment to a strategic relationship that will foster project implementation, enhance mutual trade, and improve cross-border services while protecting labour rights.’’ A key component that has been identified that puts smiles on our faces is that the globally respected French Development Agency, AFD, has given a firm assurance that it will continue to support projects under the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Tinubu administration.
Now, most Nigerians are giving support to the central government on account of the fact that when hope appeared lost for a new Nigeria to emerge after several years of locust, Tinubu came saying there’s yet hope. He rolled out a bold plan he claimed would first see us experience some initial birth pangs, followed by the delivery or birth of new society without a carryover from the sordid past. We can’t begin to savour or descry of that future until we have faith in his vision. After all, the Holy Bible says ‘’Faith is the substance of hope, the evidence of things not seen.’’
The president’s foreign trips along with his domestic socio-economic exploits are beginning to give us a glimpse of the shape of the renewed hope promised. But, like many initiatives that take root today to bear fruits tomorrow, you need to arm yourself with strong will to resist despondency and promptings from naysayers and pessimists.
Many for instance are still unmoved by the many overseas flights by Tinubu. They insist that Nigeria’s plight is local or domestic, and can only be tackled from within. That’s far from the truth. Nothing happens in one country that wouldn’t have a spiral effect on neighbours, far or near. Wise leaders know this and would therefore align solutions to their domestic problems to the experiences and assistance of others.
Nigeria’s leading business personalities who appreciate this wisdom went along with Tinubu and returned smiling. Two of the major banks, UBA and Zenith, will, following the trip, begin operations in France. This heralds the deepening of financial ties the two countries. Of course, there are employment opportunities built into these deals, with ripple effects on the local scene here in Nigeria in the years ahead.
There’re some great gain in the oil and gas sector as French major, Total Energies SE is said to be green-lighting a massive $750 million gas project in Nigeria next year. Potentially, this signals that Nigeria is making progress in its efforts to revive investment in its huge hydrocarbon reserves. This is expected to revolutionize the commercial prospects of the country’s liquefied natural gas industry, both domestically and globally.
President Tinubu went straight to South Africa, our continental neighbours, after the France visit. There again, he tied his journey to his vision to a new Nigeria. This time, among many other feats, he secured a new lease of life of our compatriots who go to South Africa. Tinubu got his hosts to relax visa rules for Nigerian tourists and business persons. The Nigerian leader was also able to get a pledge from the South Africans to ease investment constraints. All these remove the anxieties of Nigerians who seek partnerships with their counterparts in the former apartheid enclave.