France’s Soft Power Play And Nigeria’s Silent Surrender -By 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘣𝘪

Nigerian Afro beat Artiste, David Adeleke recently met with the French president Emmanuel Macron. In the gilded halls of the Élysée Palace, a photo-op unfolded.

Davido, the crown prince of Afrobeats, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Emmanuel Macron, the president of France. This image and video clips of the meeting beamed across the African continent, a masterpiece of modern soft power.

Back home in Nigeria, the reaction was predictably euphoric. On platforms like Arise Television, a chorus of admiration swelled. The hosts on Arise TV “The Morning Show” were effusive in their praise, celebrating the moment as a testament to Nigerian cultural ascendancy.
“Davido is putting Nigeria on the map!” the mostly female crew gushed, seeing only the glitter, blind to the iron fist within the velvet glove.

There was no pause to question the underlying motive or analysis of the intended soft power objectives of France.

This collective failure to pause and question is not a mere oversight; it is a symptom of a deeper malaise, very typical of the Nigeria media, which is a cheerleader of all things Foreign, as I have mentioned in some of my past articles.

While Nigeria sleeps, lulled by the rhythm of Afrobeats and the illusion of international validation, France is executing a calculated, multi-pronged strategy to reassert its waning influence in Africa. And Nigeria the continent’s giant is its prime target.

Recent history is our most urgent teacher. France has suffered a series of humiliating expulsions from its former colonies in the Sahel, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger. The era of direct, hard military dominance is fraying at the edges. The new battleground is the mind, and the objective is to capture and once again enslave the minds of Africa’s growing youth.

Having lost ground in the Sahel with most of the people there turning against them, the French government is turning its gaze southwards to Nigeria’s teeming, youthful population and vast economic potential. The objective remains the same, to secure its interests and continue a long-standing policy of extraction. Only the tactics have changed.

The meeting with Davido is not an isolated event of cultural exchange. It is a single move on a grand strategic chessboard by the French.

Consider the recent developments listed below that we can look at in turn to back this view.

The acquisition of M-Net, one of Africa’s largest and most influential media organizations, by the French media giant Vivendi’s Canal+ is a stunning coup. This is not a simple business transaction; it is the purchase of the narrative. It gives France direct control over the stories told to millions of Africans, the music they hear, and the stars they celebrate. It is a machinery for cultural colonization, designed to shape perceptions and create a generation that looks to Paris for validation.

The recent joint military exercises between France and Nigeria on our coastal beaches is a stark message. Under the guise of “cooperation” and “fighting terrorism,” France is normalizing its military presence on Nigerian soil. This is not altruism; it is the strategic positioning of a power that knows economic influence is best backed by the implicit threat of force ensuring the Nigerian state remains within its sphere of influence.

French development Agency AFD are aggressively investing in critical sectors like marine transportation, the recently announced “Omi Eko” project in Lagos, the nation’s economic heartbeat. Control over, marine transportation, ports and logistics is control over the arteries of commerce. This continues the neo-colonial agenda of extraction, where foreign-owned interests dominate key infrastructure, ensuring that the wealth generated flows outward rather than being reinvested to build indigenous capacity.

The most tragic element of this silent takeover is the complicity of the Nigerian elite and the failure of our media. The Nigerian ruling class, ever eager for a seat at the global high table, is always easily co-opted.

A handshake with Macron, an invitation to the Élysée, is mistaken for real power and partnership. They are willing junior partners in a venture that ultimately undermines our national sovereignty and economic autonomy.

Meanwhile, the media, which is supposed to be the watchdog of democracy, has been reduced to a lapdog of power. The fawning coverage of the Davido-Macron meeting, devoid of any critical analysis, is a case in point.

Where were the tough questions? What was the agenda? What does France seek in return for this spotlight? The media’s inability or unwillingness, to see the underlying geopolitical motives is a profound dereliction of duty or incompetence. The media personalities are so captivated by the glow of celebrity that they fail to see the shadow of empire.

We must awaken from this slumber. Celebrating our cultural icons is a beautiful thing, but true power lies in controlling our own narrative, our own economy, and our own destiny.

Every joint military exercise, every acquisition of a media asset, every strategic investment in critical infrastructure must be met with rigorous scrutiny not rapturous applause.

France is not an altruistic benefactor; it is a nation acting in its own strategic interests. The meeting with Davido is a sophisticated tool in a neo-colonial toolkit, designed to make subjugation look like collaboration. It is a strategy that relies on a complicit elite and a distracted populace.

Nigeria faces a critical choice: Should we allow ourselves to be placated into submission, or will we find the courage to see beyond appearances and recognize the true dynamics of power at play? Our future as a sovereign nation depends on the answer. The time for critical thinking is now before the velvet glove closes into a fist.

𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘬𝘢𝘯𝘣𝘪, 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘒, 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘪𝘦𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.