(L-R): 7th and 8th, French Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier, and the Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, and others, during the envoy’s courtesy visit to the agency in Abuja (NAN).
French Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Marc Fonbaustier, has called for collaboration with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) toward strengthening the mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries.
Fonbaustier stated this during a courtesy visit to Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, NAN’s Managing Director, in Abuja.
The ambassador said that the purpose of his visit was to pay tribute to Ali, and seek collaboration with the agency in three areas.
“I am coming here for three reasons, first, to pay a tribute to the NAN MD and his team for the quality of this agency.
“We can testify that the contents that you publish are very factual, and also very well set up and structured.
“You do fact-checking and you really do try to provide the community with quality information.
“I think, as French ambassador, I can recognise that as part of a living democracy,” he said.
Fonbaustier said the second reason for the visit was to intimate the NAN boss of France’s eagerness to go into partnership with NAN, and expressed hope for a seamless, fluid and easy relationship.
The envoy said the third reason for his visit stemmed from his observation that NAN recently signed some partnership agreements with Egypt and China.
“It may be time to think of balancing this partnership with others, especially with France.
“We’ll also talk with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to see if there’s ground for a closer relationship between NAN and AFP, which is also a recognised agency, like yours.
“I bet you, the sky will be the limit to the collaboration,” the envoy noted.
He explained that these were all aimed at promoting stronger, seamless and fruitful partnership between France and Nigeria.
According to him, France and Nigeria can deepen their collaboration and learn from each other.
Fonbaustier described Nigeria and its people as hospitable, especially toward foreigners and ambassadors alike.
He also said that Nigeria is a country with people who have so much energy, strength, stamina and so many talents.
He said that, given Nigeria’s large population, it was no wonder that the elites of the country are very outstanding.
“I could feel it, particularly, during the state visit of President Bola Tinubu, which took place in Nov. 2024.
“I was there and I could see the intensity, the strength and the scope of the partnership, and I am here to scale up that partnership in all sectors,” the envoy stressed.
Responding, Ali informed the envoy that NAN was African’s biggest news content provider on account of its size.
“As our continent’s biggest news content provider, we have offices nationwide and in selected African countries.
“We have offices in countries, such as South Africa, Cote d’ivoire, Addis Ababa, and then we have offices also beyond the shores of Africa.
“We also have an office in New York and we are the only resident wire service in the United Nations.
“At a time in the past, the agency had 11 foreign offices, including Moscow.
“Presently, we are trying to re-open some of our shut offices, especially in London.
“We value the partnership and understanding that we have with similar news organisations, such as Reuters.
“Incidentally, we have a long standing relationship with AFP, which you just raised.
“I know for years we have had exchange of news between NAN and AFP, but it’s a cooperation that we will like to strengthen, with your greater involvement,’’ he said.
The NAN boss commended the ambassador for reaching out and engaging with some Nigerian communities.
He also lauded the envoy’s leadership and visibility to Nigeria and ECOWAS.
According to him, this has helped to douse the perception and misconceptions about France, especially within the Sahel.
“I think you have helped to reverse some of these perceptions.
“I thank you for the kind words that you said about the agency and about our management.
“We also see partnership as an important tool in checking the spread of fake news.
“We’ve seen instances where fake news has done a great deal of damage, and with the coming of the social media, it has done even greater damage.
“Our country is facing a lot of challenges, one of which is the increasing insecurity, and the social media has been used by those who do not want to see our country prosper,” Ali said.
He further said that NAN is a credible news agency that always fact-checked to correct the wrong narratives by those who are in the business of causing trouble.
Ali also told the envoy that the agency had already begun producing content in some of Nigeria’s indigenous languages, starting with Hausa.
He said that it would proceed to Yoruba and Igbo languages, and then French in future.(NAN)
