President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has held discussions with French businessman Vincent Bolloré and executives of the Bolloré Group in Paris over plans to expand the group’s investments and local operations in Nigeria’s creative and digital economy.
The meeting took place on Friday, September 18, 2026, during Tinubu’s working vacation in France, according to a statement from the Presidency.
The discussions focused on opportunities in film, entertainment, fibre-optic infrastructure and other areas of Nigeria’s growing digital economy. The Presidency said Bolloré and his executives confirmed plans to deepen the localisation of their operations in the country.
The Bolloré Group has significant interests in global media and entertainment, including Canal+, MultiChoice and Universal Music Group. Canal+ completed its acquisition of MultiChoice earlier in 2026, further expanding the French group’s presence in Nigeria and other African markets.
According to the Presidency, the executives presented a series of proposed investments centred on Nigeria, pointing to the international growth of Nollywood, Afrobeats and other aspects of Nigerian culture as part of the country’s increasing influence in the global creative economy.
Tinubu welcomed the plans and said Nigeria’s growing cultural reach presented an opportunity to attract more production, investment and employment into the country.
The President said his administration wanted a greater proportion of the economic value generated by Nigerian creative talent to remain within the country. He also emphasised the need for increased local production, investment in infrastructure and opportunities for young Nigerians.
The discussions also touched on digitalisation and fibre-optic infrastructure, areas that could support the expansion of digital businesses and creative industries.
Tinubu said the government would continue creating conditions for investments that develop local talent, strengthen infrastructure and position Nigeria as a base for companies seeking to serve the wider African and international markets.
The meeting comes as the Federal Government continues to promote Nigeria’s creative and digital sectors as potential sources of investment, employment and economic diversification beyond the country’s traditional dependence on oil.
The President has also recently advanced the government’s Digital Free Zones initiative, which is intended to make it easier for Nigerian technology and service companies to access international markets and capital while keeping their businesses and intellectual property in Nigeria.
For the Bolloré Group, deeper localisation could increase its involvement in Nigeria’s film, entertainment and digital infrastructure markets at a time when Nigerian music and film are attracting growing international audiences.
No specific monetary value for the proposed new investments was disclosed in the Presidency’s statement, and no detailed implementation timetable was announced.
The Paris meeting therefore represents a renewed push for expanded private-sector investment, with the government seeking to translate Nigeria’s growing cultural influence and digital capacity into local production, infrastructure and employment opportunities.