French President, Emmanuel Macron has cancelled a planned visit to Nigeria that was due to take place on Wednesday, 28 October, according to Premium Times.

The paper cited Nigerian sources briefed on the trip, who said Macron and President Bola Tinubu agreed on Thursday to drop the state visit.

The sources gave three reasons. Macron was reportedly worried that travelling to Nigeria during the demonstrations across France could be seen as insensitive and irresponsible. They also cited Nigeria’s upcoming presidential election and a new Ebola case. The French Embassy’s press department declined to comment on the cancellation.

The trip was to be part of French Week, an event organised by the Franco-Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Macron was to be accompanied by a delegation of French business people who would meet their Nigerian counterparts. Nigeria is one of France’s closest partners in Africa.

Other outlets point the same way, with some differences in wording. Jeune Afrique reported that Macron has scrapped a mini-tour of West Africa that was meant to take him to Abuja and Dakar, saying he was caught up in an unprecedented wave of social unrest at home.

A French presidential source told AFP that the visits to Nigeria and Senegal had been postponed rather than cancelled. The source did not explicitly cite the protests, but said the trip concerned a diplomatic and cooperation agenda, unlike Macron’s Gulf visit this week, which focused on securing energy supplies. The Élysée had not officially announced the schedule.

The decision comes as Paris is seeking to revive its ties with West Africa. It is also a setback for Nigeria’s diplomatic calendar, as the country heads into campaign season ahead of the 2027 elections.