Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has called on African leaders to reconsider their relationship with France, urging governments across the continent to pursue stronger diplomatic, security, and economic partnerships with the United States instead.
Frank made the remarks in a statement issued on Tuesday amid the ongoing “Africa Forward: Africa-France Partnerships for Innovation and Growth” summit in Nairobi, Kenya, where French President Emmanuel Macron is meeting with several African leaders, including Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The political activist argued that decades of French influence in Africa, particularly within Francophone West Africa, had failed to deliver meaningful development despite the continent’s vast natural and economic resources.
According to him, recent political upheavals and military takeovers in countries such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger exposed what he described as an exploitative relationship between France and parts of Africa.
“France has nothing more to offer Africa,” Frank stated, adding that African nations must avoid entering agreements that could undermine their economic independence and political sovereignty.
He maintained that the continent stands to gain more from closer collaboration with the United States, particularly in the areas of security, democratic governance, and private-sector investment.
Frank identified counter-terrorism cooperation, electoral transparency, and infrastructure development as key sectors where African governments could benefit from deeper U.S. engagement. He argued that stronger ties with Washington would provide more balanced economic opportunities and support efforts to tackle insecurity across the Sahel region.
The remarks come at a time when France is seeking to rebuild and redefine its relationship with African countries following growing anti-French sentiment in parts of West Africa. In recent years, several military-led governments in the region have cut defence ties with Paris and demanded the withdrawal of French troops.
Despite criticism from activists and opposition figures, supporters of the Nairobi summit insist that African countries should maintain diversified international partnerships rather than align exclusively with any global power bloc.
President Tinubu, while addressing participants at the summit, reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to partnerships capable of delivering tangible economic and developmental benefits to citizens.
As debates over Africa’s geopolitical direction continue, analysts say the continent is increasingly becoming a focal point in the broader competition for global influence between Western powers, Russia, and China.
