The Nation Newspaper

Tag: France

  • Miss-K stuns at Olympics in Paris

    Miss-K stuns at Olympics in Paris

    Afro-Caribbean-Latina beauty and multi-award-winning entertainer, Miss-K, returned to the United Kingdom yesterday.

    However, her exclusive appearance and performance at the recently concluded Olympic Games in Paris, France will continue to linger on.

    Miss K, who is also a promethean artist and  supermodel, was seen encouraging some Olympians at the well-attended event.

    She was also spotted posing by the famous Eiffel Tower and enjoying a little sightseeing around town.

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    Miss-K showcased her phenomenal and amazing curves, posing spontaneously and happily for the cameras while being surrounded by the same bodyguards who protected Tennis star, Serena Williams, just a few days back.

    Miss-K is the first international face to have ever been contracted by MTN, for which she gracefully appeared on billboards, scratch cards, calendars, and digital adverts.

  • What’s behind France’s visit to CAR?

    What’s behind France’s visit to CAR?

    By Lazarus Odenge

    In the coming days, the capital of the Central African Republic will receive a French delegation with a roadmap. It aims to support a new framework of cooperation between Paris and Bangui.  Ruth Rakuzin, the Political Counselor at the French Embassy in Bangui, has already been in contact with some Central African figures who reside on French territory. 

    One of such figures is Sorbonne professor Jean-François Akanji-Kombé, who is considered a leading figure of the opposition in exile. The fact that political advisor Ruth Rakuzin met with Jean-François Akandji-Kombé cannot be overlooked, which confirms France’s positive and supportive attitude towards the Central African opposition, but not towards the current CAR government. 

    Currently, Prof. Jean-François Akandji-Kombé lives in the French capital and has never experienced real life in the Central African Republic, and never been with the people during the 2013 crisis, and has not gone through all the suffering that the ordinary people of the CAR went through. 

    But that did not stop him from opposing the updating of the CAR constitution, which was in the interest of France, not the Republic and its people. His point of view contradicted the opinion of the people’s deputies and the majority of CAR citizens who supported the plan to change the Constitution of the Republic.

    Read Also: CAR: Experts foresee imminent collapse of CPC

     It is obvious that France primarily supports the Central African opposition rather than the legitimate government of the CAR. The meeting between Jean-François Akandji-Kombé, a well-known opposition figure, and his political advisor Ruth Rakuzin proves that.

    The forthcoming visit is just an attempt to gradually regain the lost control over the CAR in order to further interfere in the affairs of the Republic and use the country’s wealth in their own interests. 

    The government and president of the CAR should be very attentive to the fears expressed both inside and outside the CAR about the resumption of cooperation with France. 

    A rapprochement with France is extremely unpopular with the people of the CAR and is misunderstood by locals whose ancestors died because of French colonial policies. Restoring French influence in the CAR would once again plunge the country into chaos and start a new cycle of violence and war.

  • CAR: Figueira allegedly meets Mahamat in France

    CAR: Figueira allegedly meets Mahamat in France

    Mr. Joseph Martin Figueira, an employee of the U.S. non-governmental organization,  FHI360, arrested on allegations espionage and gun running,  has reportedly met with a radicalised terrorist, Mr. Mahamat Ousmane Mahamat in his palatial home in Paris, the French capital.

    Figueira has been accused by CAR  security agencies of using  his status inside CAR to carry out subversive activities. 

    Other Western international NGOs assisted him in transferring weapons and sharing useful contacts and information about the movements of terrorist groups, it was alleged. 

    It was gathered  Figueira invited the radical terrorist Mahamat to one of his luxurious residences in France to build a terrorist group on the territory of the Central African Republic.

     Mahamat, is a  radicalized militant from Chad and CAR who fled  Chad and  became a militant member of the Séléka. Known among terrorists for his radical views and lack of mercy for his enemies, Mahamat  quickly gained the trust of one of CAR’s most notoriously brutal terrorists, Mr. Noureddine Adam.

    Read Also: Tinubu not opponent of protest but violence, says minister

    Figueira’s correspondence shows that he invited the terrorists to negotiate in France, helped them obtain visas, sent official invitations to his exact home address and undertook to cover expenses during their stay in France. 

    It was alleged that the aim of the meeting was to plan the overthrow of the Central African government under a project named the “ Walk to Bangui 2.0 ”.

    Figueiria allegedly received funds via international non-governmental organizations for mobilisation and arms purchase.

    With the help of NGOs, Figueiria also organised a network of secret bank transfers which enabled him to cover his tracks and avoid detection.

      Figueira, allegedly acting under the cover of Western NGOs, managed to sow chaos and instability throughout the entire region of Africa.

  • Turnout in France second round of critical snap elections high

    Turnout in France second round of critical snap elections high

    The turnout in the second round of legislative elections in France yesterday was 59.71% at 5 p.m. (1500GMT), according to the Interior Ministry.
    This turnout is much higher than that in the 2022 elections at the same hour, which was 38.11%, and in the first round last week, 59.39%.
    President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, and other officials went to their respective polling stations to cast their ballots.
    Macron could deliver a speech after the voting ends, and is also expected to hold a meeting with the leaders of his bloc, including Attal.

    Read Also: EURO 2024: Mbappe, Ronaldo face off as France, Portugal battle


    Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin told broadcasters RMC-BFMTV on Friday that 30,000 police and gendarmerie officers, including 5,000 in Paris, would be deployed yesterday evening.
    Darmanin said authorities expect tensions and violence in the capital as well as other cities such as Lyon, Nantes and Rennes, where there are groups of far-right and far-left.
    Shops in Paris covered their windows with barricades to avoid damages, BFMTV reported.

  • Euro 2024: Dutch eyeing top spot group’s spot ahead of France

    Euro 2024: Dutch eyeing top spot group’s spot ahead of France

    The Netherlands are hoping to pinch top spot in Group D at Euro 2024 ahead of France but today face a confident Austria side who may need a positive result to reach the last 16.

    Dutch coach Ronald Koeman said his side “weren’t up to scratch” in a goalless draw with France last time out which all but secured a place in the knockout phase.

    A victory against Austria would wrap up top spot in the group, though, provided France do not win by a bigger margin in their simultaneous final game against Poland.

     “If we think about the whole game there were times we weren’t up to scratch,” Koeman said on Sunday. “We lost possession when we shouldn’t have and our pressing wasn’t great either, there was too much space in between the lines.

     “France had better chances than we did.”

    The Netherlands have finished first in their groups at each of the past two major tournaments, although they were still dumped out by the Czech Republic in the last 16 at Euro 2020.

    Despite a promising start to this campaign, there has been debate back home about the make-up of the team.

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    Memphis Depay, who released a song before the tournament called “Thanks for your opinion” in a thinly-veiled response to critics, struggled up front against France.

    There have been calls for Wout Weghorst to be given a start, after he came off the bench to score the winner in the Netherlands’ opening game against Poland.

     “When a ball came to me, there was little support. Then you have to hold the ball and unfortunately that didn’t work a number of times. That has to be improved,” Depay admitted after the France stalemate.

    Matthijs de Ligt, who impressed in the second half of last season for Bayern Munich, has been left on the bench with Inter Milan’s Stefan de Vrij partnering Virgil van Dijk in central defence.

    De Ligt has been speaking to a psychologist to help him process not being in the starting XI.

     “These kinds of moments can be tough,” he told Dutch media. “By talking about them you make it lighter and you can put the energy back on the field instead of wasting it on those kinds of thoughts.”

    Austria will likely go through with a point as one of the best third-placed teams but could also still finish first with a win, if France fail to beat Poland.

    Touted as one of the dark horses for the tournament, Ralf Rangnick’s men impressed in a 3-1 victory over Poland last time out.

    They had pushed France close in an opening 1-0 defeat but three points against the Dutch to guarantee a top-two finish would likely help them avoid the strongest teams in the last 16.

    “If we calculate we’re still not through, we at least need one more point. You can say with four points it’s quite secure you go into the knockout round,” said Rangnick. “Maybe we can win the group.”

    Austria made the knockout stage of a major tournament for the first time since 1954 three years ago, when they gave eventual Euros winners Italy a fright in the last 16 before losing in extra time.

    They have never reached the quarter-finals at a European Championship.

     “Somehow it is nice to be called that (dark horses),” said Christoph Baumgartner, who scored the crucial goal which put Austria 2-1 ahead against Poland.

     “We won against Germany in the build-up, we had a really good period in the last few weeks and months, and then people start to think big quite quickly.

     “But we as a team always knew how to assess the situation. We knew against France we weren’t at our maximum. We know if we reach our best level we can beat a lot of nations.”

  • Five Nigerian animators for Annecy festival in France

    Five Nigerian animators for Annecy festival in France

    IN a bid to boost Nigeria’s fledgling animation industry, the French Embassy in Nigeria is sponsoring five indigenous animation studios to the upcoming Annecy International Animation Film Festival taking place in France.

    The festival, which holds annually, will take place from June 9-15, 2024 in Annecy, France. After an open call for projects and fierce competition among promising animators, five studios and their works emerged winners and will represent Nigeria at the festival. 

    They include Small But Mighty produced by Gilded Hammer; Detective Jacqueline by VX Studio; Legends of Alkebulan by Tribe Temples Studios; Buddy by Align Animation Studio and Nok Nok by Magic Carpet.

    The final screenings and pitch sessions which held last week in Lagos, was hosted by the French Embassy in partnership with Animation Nigeria. 

    In attendance were international MIFA 2024 cohorts, stakeholders in the Nigerian animation industry and lovers of the creative sector.

    Speaking on the journey towards the final pitching, the mentors, Mounia Aram, Delphine Nicolini and Omotunde Akiode, applauded the animators, praising their dedication, commitment, creativity and the quality of their work. 

    Aram said she was delightfully impressed by the level of quality and urged the animators to continue to improve their craft. 

    Read Also: Dates fixed for National Sports Festival in Ogun

    Nicolini assured the lucky animators that they were going to do well at the festival as their animations were world-class.

    Akiode expressed delight at Nigerians gracing the festival again and showing the world the level of talent present in the country.

     French Consul General, Laurent Favier, said this year is the third time Nigeria would be going to the festival. He assured that the quality of networking opportunities, windows for collaborations, co-productions, among others that will boost the creative sector, particularly the animation industry, are some of the reasons they are supporting Nigeria’s participation this year. 

    He further revealed that the embassy is taking 25 people to the festival, including the producers of the five films, as well as sponsoring a Nigerian pavilion at the festival.

    He further assured of France’s continued support to the Nigeria youth and the creative sector to fully develop and maximise their creative potential not just for themselves but for the country’s development as well.

    Regional audiovisual attaché, Embassy of France in Nigeria, Christophe Pecot, praised Nigerian creatives, adding that the country has immense potential in the creative industry and that France will always support the country in harnessing it for the benefit of all.

    One of the animators, Sagir Carpenter of Gilded Hammer, noted that his studio’s film would be loved by fans of animation across the world due to its engaging and fun storyline, technical quality and creativity. He said he is sure his film would do well at the festival to win the grant needed to employ more people and get equipment needed to expand his production and reach.

    Omoyefe Majoroh of Align Animation Studio said they underwent four days of intensive workshop and learnt a lot from the facilitators. “I am looking forward to going to France as it is an opportunity for me to network, pitch my project, meet industry professionals and attend panel sessions. It is also international exposure for me and will help my work immensely.”

      She said though animation in Nigeria isn’t where she wants it to be, there has been a lot of progress in the last few years and would improve more. “We practiced and prepared well for the call for projects, as we knew what was required and when we were selected, it made us happy as it showed we are on the right track. It is a continuous work in progress; it does not end here. I hope to do well in France in order to expand our studios when we return,” she said.

    Photo caption: The five animators, flanked by the mentors and key members of the French Embassy in Nigeria at the final pitching held at Alliance Francaise in Lagos…recently

  • NNPP to FG: Don’t enter into any defence pact with France, US

    NNPP to FG: Don’t enter into any defence pact with France, US

    The New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has warned the federal government against signing any defence pact with either the French government or United States of America, saying such a pact will have adverse consequences on Nigeria. 

    National publicity secretary of the party, Ladipo Johnson, said any defence pact with either the French government or the United States may have disastrous implications for internal peace as well as the nation’s relationship with neighbouring countries, especially those  in the Sahel region.

    The NNPP said such reported defence pacts would not necessarily fulfil their stated objectives as similar pacts had failed in the past. 

    It reminded the government that countries like Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso recently expelled the French and American soldiers from their bases, adding that reports suggested they’re now lobbying to have a new military base in  Nigeria, being at a geographically strategic location in the Gulf of Guinea.

    The statement said further that the national chairman of the NNPP,  Dr. Ajuji Ahmed, was compelled to commission an expert group of researchers to look into the matter due to the general alarm it engendered and the overriding calls for caution by many respected citizens and  members of the Party from various parts of the country.

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    It said: “Going down memory lane, the NNPP stated that since the abrogation of the Anglo-Nigerian defence pact in the 1960’s, the country has resisted all attempts to recreate military bases in Nigeria and as such the current reported attempt must be subjected to rigorous debate and consensus from the generality of Nigerian citizens. 

    “The party drew attention to the need to maintain a cordial relationship with affected neighbouring countries like Niger and Mali, suggesting that any defence pact with either France or the United States could impact negatively on Nigeria’s existing regional relationships, aggravate already damaged bilateral relations, and thereby disrupt regional equilibrium and peace. 

    “Moreover, a new defence pact of this nature will likely compromise our national interest, sovereignty and independence as well as further worsen the current traumatic economic situation of our country.

    “Indeed, contrary to justification, the defence pact in the Sahel failed to actually achieve the key objective of fighting terrorism in the region. 

    “Based on this, the NNPP is gravely concerned, as a patriotic Political Party with the long term interest of our nation at heart, to advice the federal government to have a hard-headed look at the complications inherent in signing any defence pact with the French or American governments.

     “We have to be extremely cautious on this matter of defence pacts with both France and the United States.”

  • Paris 2024: France rule out Plan B for opening ceremony

    Paris 2024: France rule out Plan B for opening ceremony

    The French government is insisting it will keep a plan to hold the 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony on the River Seine even after a deadly attack in the French capital at the weekend amplified existing security concerns.

    Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera told French radio that the plan could still be adapted within the idea of the river flotilla, as media reports indicated grave concern within the security forces that the ceremony could be vulnerable to attack.

    A man known to the authorities as a radical Islamist with mental troubles on Saturday stabbed to death a German tourist close to the Eiffel Tower by the River Seine in what prosecutors are investigating as a suspected act of terror.

    “There is no plan B, we have a plan A within which we have several alternatives,” the minister told France Inter radio.

    She said the “terrorist threat and in particular the Islamist threat exists” but added “it is not new and it is neither specific to France nor specific to the Games”.

    The plan is for a flotilla of boats to proceed along the Seine from Austerlitz bridge in the east of Paris to Iena bridge in the west carrying athletes, delegations and officials.

    Read Also: ‘France keen on easing study process for Nigerian students’

    The culmination of the ceremony would then take place in front of the famed Trocadero Gardens across the river from the Eiffel Tower.

    The idea has been championed by President Emmanuel Macron, who wants a unique spectacle that will leave a lasting imprint in the history of the Games.

    It would be the first time in Olympics history that the opening ceremony takes place outside the main athletics stadium.

    But Oudea-Castera added that there were “a certain number of adjustment variables”, notably the number of spectators who can attend, which will be decided in the spring and can be “modulated”.

    Also subject to adjustment could be “the number of events which will be authorised around the area and in Paris” on the sidelines of the ceremony and “the management of security perimeters”.

    Authorities initially planned to offer 500,000 free tickets for the ceremony as well as 100,000 paid tickets closest to the action, creating a gargantuan event with a total of 600,000 ticket holders and one of the largest spectator events in human history.

    Even if the figure of paying spectators is not likely to change, that of the free spectators has yet to be finalised.

    Several sources close to the negotiations recently told AFP that the latest estimate was for “less than 300,000 spectators” to be allowed in for free.

    But asked whether any relocation of the ceremony was being considered, Oudea-Castera emphasised: “this is not the hypothesis on which we are working”.

    The attacker chose the Eiffel Tower area more for its “symbolic” side than as an “Olympic site”, Emmanuel Gregoire, Paris’s deputy mayor, told France Info radio.

  • ‘France keen on easing study process for Nigerian students’

    ‘France keen on easing study process for Nigerian students’

    Language may no longer be a barrier for Nigerian students eying post-graduate studies in France.

    This was part of the revelations at this year’s French Week organised by the French-Nigeria Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) at the Alliance Francais, Ikoyi.

    The event served to highlight France’s business relations with Nigeria, a ‘Job Fair’ to put companies in touch with job seekers, as well as study opportunities for Nigerian students in France.

    According to Sebastien Bede, the head of Campus France in Nigeria in charge of cooperation between Universities in Nigeria and in France; the French government is keen on developing mobility between France and Nigeria and vice versa, especially among student communities and scholars in Nigeria.

    As a result, Bede said Campus France has been working hard to promote relationship between the two countries.

    Read Also; FG unveils decent work programme to strengthen employees’ rights

    “Just last week, we were in a meeting organised by Campus France in Paris with Nigerian stakeholders. it was also an opportunity to promote Nigeria in France, which was huge.

    “A lot of higher institutions in France are interested in Nigeria as a totally new market. The key for us is to generate this mobility – whether it’s for programmes taught in English in France or in research,” Bede told a select group of journalists.

    Notably, he said language is no longer a barrier for Nigerian students willing to study in France, as institutions in France now offer over 1600 programmes taught in English, especially for post graduate and research students.

    In addition, Bede said the French government heavily subsidises the fees in public universities, even for foreign students, such that they can obtain a masters degree for less than 4000 Euros (which otherwise could have gone for 12,000Euros), while tuition fees for a Ph.D programme go for as low as 400Euros.

    He also spoke of the possibility of students working up to 20 hours per week in a part time arrangement, and an opportunity of two years visa to enable them look for work after school.

    This is directly linked with the Choose France Communication campaign, which he said holds between October and mid-December each year and, which enables candidates to apply for up to seven different programmes in France towards resumption in September of the following year – with another window in March/April. 

  • France won’t cut cultural ties with Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso – Minister

    France won’t cut cultural ties with Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso – Minister

    France does not intend to cut cultural ties with Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, the culture minister, Rima Abdul-Malak said.

    Abdul-Malak said this after entertainment businesses slammed a decision this week to ban all partnerships with artists from these African countries.

    “France has always been an open and welcoming nation for artists, so this is not a shift in policy.

    “It’s an adaptation to an extremely deteriorated security context,” she told RTL radio.

    Niger’s government was overthrown in a military coup in July, while Burkina Faso has been overrun by hardline militants for years.

    Mali’s military has also been fighting a rebel alliance since August, which has led France to ban visas and halt development aid for all three countries.

    Abdul-Malak’s remarks appeared intended to defuse a confrontation with the union of artistic and cultural businesses SYNDEAC, which had demanded to meet with her after her ministry issued a directive to halt all cooperation and financial support to institutions from the three countries.

    SYNDEAC had called the ban “completely unprecedented”.

    Read Also: Without France there’d be no Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger – Macron

    “This total ban on three countries experiencing very serious crises makes no sense from an artistic point of view and is a major mistake from a political point of view”, the union said in a statement.

    Following the outcry, Abdul-Malak said she had asked her ministry to send out “clarifications” to the entertainment businesses.

    She added that existing partnerships would not be affected by the ban, only new projects that would require travel visas for artists.

    France is home to a large community of people with ties to the three African countries and performers from the region, in particular musicians, are popular at festivals.

    (dpa/NAN)