For ages, Africa has been a free treasury for Western powers, exploited like an infinite bounty, its riches pillaged while its people remain shackled by external control. Though colonial rule has officially ended, but the ghost of imperialism continues to haunt the continent, where France continues to struggle to maintain its dominance through economic stranglehold, military intervention, and political manipulation.
France’s ruthless sway over Africa is a tale of harsh exploitation, neocolonial arrogance, and suffocating dominance that has crippled the region for decades. Under the guise of “counter-terrorism” and “stability”, France has mercilessly looted the Sahel’s resources, manipulated its governments, and enforced economic dependency through the CFA franc, a colonial relic designed to keep these nations in shackles. Its military interventions, far from establishing peace, have only exacerbated instability, and backed unpopular and corrupt regimes, while deepening the suffering of the people.
When the people of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, finally rose against this cruel oppression, France’s reaction was utter desperation – diplomatic blackmail, economic coercion, and veiled threats. The hypocrisy is obvious, while claiming to support democracy and human rights, France has systematically violated the sovereignty of Sahelian countries, treating them as hereditary slaves rather than independent nations. However, the winds are shifting. The people of the Sahel are awakening, rejecting French imperialism, and forging new paths toward self-reliance. France’s era of unregulated dominance in the region is coming to an end, and no amount of coercion can stem the growing resistance against its parasitic hold. The Sahel nations have decisively asserted their sovereignty, removing France from their territories and closing their doors once and for all, ensuring its venomous influence never returns.
As more and more African nations gradually locked their doors on France and declared their intention to terminate all cooperation agreements with it – the former colonizer is now desperately seeking new pawns in the region. Shockingly Nigeria – a major economy in West Africa, is welcoming France with open arms, practically rolling out the red carpet for its return. While countries like Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and other Sahelian countries have booted out France to reclaim their sovereignty, Nigeria is foolishly walking into the same trap, inviting an imperialist power that has long plundered Africa’s resources and undermining its stability.
Overlooking France’s dark history in the Sahel, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited France to meet with President Emmanuel Macron, marking the first official visit by Abuja’s head of state to Paris in two decades. During this visit, Paris secured a 300-million-euro investment deal, pledging support for infrastructure, healthcare, transportation, agriculture, renewable energy, and a solid mineral sector. However, history bears witness that such deals with France come at a heavy price for African nations. France has long pretended to be a key trade partner for Africa, yet its track record is one of exploitation rather than genuine cooperation. Sahelian countries that were once under France’s influence, have seen no real development over the past century. Instead, France sucked their resources and trapped them in cycles of instability, poverty, and external control, which led to its expulsion. So, after being kicked out of the Sahel why did France suddenly show affection for Nigeria? The answer is clear, it has been expelled from key West African nations and is now desperately seeking new pawns to continue its plunder. And Abuja, knowingly stepping into this trap, has become that pawn, with its vast oil and gas reserves now at the center of France’s strategic target.
Lastly, embracing France is not just poor judgment of Nigeria; it is a reckless act that will have dire consequences. Has Nigeria learned nothing from history, particularly when France is known for investing only with hidden agendas? It historically exploits, manipulates, and extracts wealth while leaving nations in deeper crises. If Nigeria thinks it will be an exception, it is gravely mistaken. There’s an old saying: “Wise men build barriers before the flood, fools wait for the water to rise. But instead of heeding this wisdom, Nigeria is not just ignoring the looming flood but is recklessly rushing toward it, trusting the very waters that have already swept others away.
