By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The federal government of Nigeria has appealed to France to grant it an additional loan aimed to develop the country and provide the dividends of democracy to the citizens.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, made his plea when she received the French Foreign Trade Minister, Mr Frank Reister, at her office in Abuja recently.
Mrs Ahmed described the credit facility of the European country as “highly concessional” and that it would support the government’s development agenda.
The Minister said the government was happy to have the French government as a partner, reiterating the commitment of the administration of President Muhamadu Buhari to a stronger bilateral tie with France
She also expressed the commitment of the nation to accelerating the preparation of the health project in Oyo State to ensure the effectiveness of the project.
In his remarks, Mr Reister commended the government for its different development strides, explaining that he was in Nigeria to “strengthen the Nigeria/French bilateral relations and to strategise with the government and other stakeholders on how to improve the present relationship.
“We want to strengthen the links between the French and Nigerian private sectors,” the French Minister declared.
“We want to look at our long-term investments, fight against climate change, explore financing options for different projects in Nigeria and support Nigeria in its gas project,” he said.
The visit is coming on the heels of the summit of African economies in Paris in May 2021, where President Muhammadu Buhari will be attending with others to deliberate on the objectives to help boost a strong inclusive recovery in Africa and accelerate the green and digital transition in line with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and Paris Agreement on climate change.
Dipo Olowookere 
Adedapo Adesanya