President Bola Tinubu held a private lunch meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame on Sunday in Paris, France, where the two leaders discussed global issues and strategies to promote Africa’s development
The Presidency shared photos showing Tinubu and Kagame seated at a table in what appeared to be an upscale Parisian restaurant, engaged in conversation over a meal.
“President Bola Tinubu at a private lunch in Paris with the President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, discussing world affairs and advancing Africa. Sunday, January 4, 2026,” the statement read.
The meeting comes a week after Tinubu left Lagos on December 28, 2025, for his end-of-year break in Europe. His Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had confirmed the trip, noting that it preceded the President’s official engagement at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week Summit in early January 2026. Tinubu had been invited by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to participate in the weeklong summit, which brings together leaders from government, business, and civil society to shape the future of sustainable development.
While the Presidency did not specify which European countries Tinubu would visit during his break, he has historically spent portions of his annual leave in France and the United Kingdom.
Sunday’s lunch continues the ongoing collaboration between Nigeria and Rwanda. Tinubu and Kagame have developed a close working relationship since May 2023, when Kagame attended Tinubu’s inauguration in Abuja. The leaders also met in Abu Dhabi on January 13, 2025, on the eve of that year’s Sustainability Week Summit, a meeting Tinubu described as “meaningful conversations” aimed at strengthening intra-African trade and cooperation.
“Nigeria and Rwanda have maintained cordial relations since Rwanda’s independence in 1962, supporting each other in bilateral and multilateral forums, including the UN, African Union, and Commonwealth,” the statement added.
The ties have been further strengthened through agreements such as the Bilateral Air Service Agreement, which allows multiple RwandAir flights weekly to Abuja and Lagos, and the Technical Aids Corps, which has seen Nigerian professionals deployed to Rwanda.
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