$150m Abacha loot: tinubu meets French presidential envoy.
Written by AIGBOKHAEBHO OKHUELEIGBE on November 3, 2023
President Bola Tinubu, on Friday in Abuja, expressed his appreciation to France for the return of $150 million stolen from Nigeria by former Head of State, General Sani Abacha.
In a statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said President Bola Tinubu commended the European country for the decision.
Receiving the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, Catherine Colonna, the highly-elated President hailed the strengthening of bilateral relations between Nigeria and France, noting that this progress followed his visit to Paris after his inauguration.
In addition to the recovery of another tranche of Abacha loot, the President acknowledged the signing of a €100 million agreement between Nigeria and France to support the i-DICE programme — a Federal Government initiative to promote investment in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and Creative Arts Industries.
The agreement was signed by Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Technology, and the French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, at an earlier event at Tafawa Balewa House, the headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
