French president Emmanuel Macron parties in infamous Lagos nightclub
French president Emmanuel Macron parties in infamous Lagos nightclub
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President
Macron joined Afrobeats musician Femi Kuti on stage at the Shrine
nightclub in Lagos, Nigeria during his visit to the country on July 3
2018. 00:59
Lagos, Nigeria (CNN)French President Emmanuel Macron has concluded a two-day visit to Nigeria, his first to the country as President.
It
was a wide-ranging trip where he announced plans for a series of
cultural events dedicated to Africa in 2020, met the President formally,
launched a France-Nigeria investment club and appealed to young people
not to take "crazy risks," to reach Europe.
It
was not the first time that Macron had visited Nigeria -- he spent six
months in the country as an intern at the French embassy in 2002.
He
arrived in Lagos on Tuesday night, fresh from a press conference with
President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, and headed for the New Afrika
Shrine, an unusual venue choice that raised a few eyebrows.
It
transpired that Macron had visited the Shrine, a nightclub founded by
legendary Afrobeats musician, Fela Anikulapo Kuti, during his stint in
Nigeria as an intern. The venue is now run by Fela's children Femi, Seun
and Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti.
No global leader has ever visited the Shrine, nor indeed any Nigerian president.
The
Shrine is the kind of place Nigerian parents warn their children about,
a nightspot that is synonymous with wafts of marijuana smoke, gyrating
back up dancers and the pulsating sounds of the Afrobeat music
popularized by Fela Kuti.
One can only imagine the groans from the security team at the Elysee Palace in Paris when the choice of venue was announced.
The club is in an area in Lagos that most overseas visitors hurriedly drive through.
Some
foreign diplomats and ambassadors are not even permitted by their
countries to visit the mainland of Lagos unless they are driving through
to go to the only airport in the city.
But
Macron seemed keen to revisit the haunts of his internship days and a
night of culture celebrating the best that Nigeria has to offer was put
on display for his benefit.
He
told the crowd that the venue was an "iconic place," however he evaded
the question when pressed about his memories, saying "whatever happens
in the Shrine, stays in the Shrine."
He added that he discovered the real Africa during the months he spent in the country in his twenties.
"That's
why I probably have a different view of Africa than a lot of other
people in Europe. Because I was educated here," Macron said.
President
Macron also took time to address the migrant crisis in Europe during a
speech to young African entrepreneurs on Wednesday.
He
said it was important for Europe to help Africa succeed to tackle the
crisis, which has reached critical levels as European countries wrangle
over whether to allow rescue ships carrying migrants to dock in their
ports.
Macron said it was a 'win, win game," for everyone if Africa succeeds.
"The
loser's game is to have extremists in Europe playing on fears and
sometimes on racism and saying African people are losers, they want to
invade us. It is to have African people say 'it's impossible to succeed
in my country, I have to reach Europe,' taking the most crazy risks...
"I
believe in a win, win game. Let's help Africa to succeed. Let's provide
new hope for African youth in Africa," President Macron said.
He
added: "Let's explain to European people that it's.. part of a common
destiny," he said during an interactive session with young leaders
hosted by Tony Elumelu, one of Africa's most successful entrepreneurs.
Macron was keen to emphasize
that he comes from a generation "that does not tell Africa what to do,"
instead he wants Africans to build the continent that they want to see,
for themselves.
He called it a
"new narrative" where Africa is the one to decide for Africa, to explain
about Africa and to create its own model of entrepreneurship, its own
culture and explain it to the rest of the world."
Macron
also alluded to the country's colonial past, although he said relations
between Africa and France are now "framed by post-colonial relations."
"I think we have a very complicated history with Africa," he said.
"My
generation never experienced colonialism. I mean it's part of our
history obviously.. you have to recognize all the past deeds and face
them, but you have to move forward, " Macron said at an event organized
by TRACE media in his honor.
Dressed
down in a casual white shirt, with his sleeves rolled up, Macron was on
an apparent charm offensive, gamely posing for the obligatory selfies
and joining some of the Nollywood stars in a skit on stage about their
industry.
He arrived two hours late to a mammoth crowd, eagerly waiting to catch a glimpse of him.
Macron also announced that the French government was launching an African culture season in France in 2020.
"We
decided to organize in France for 2020, a series of events about
African culture but the new thing is that it will be for Africa, for
African artists, by African artists, and with African leaders, business
communities in France and African people," Macron said to loud cheers
from the crowd.
He added that the
bill for the event would be footed by African businesses and "will not
be sponsored by European or French businesses.
"It's brand new," the French president said
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