President Emmanuel Macron of France said yesterday that his visit to the African Shrine was an emotional come-back, stressing that he never imagined he would return to Nigeria one day as President of France.
Macron said this while fielding questions at a joint press conference with President Muhammadu Buhari after the bilateral talks held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
“First, because I wanted to find a good occasion to come back there. I know the place and I have some memories, I have to confess at a time that there was no president around; I hope I will not spoil the party.
“I think that is such an iconic place for a lot of African people and African culture. And I think very often when you speak of the African culture in Europe, those who are successful in Europe and in France, which is different most of the times are not dramatically very famous in Nigeria or in Africa. And there is a bias because you know people are absolutely not the same.
“I mean Fela, Femi, Seun Kuti are obviously very famous in France and Europe. I mean they are big successes but the Shrine is a cultural hub, an iconic hub and it is very important for me first on a personal level. And that is why I want to say with a lot of humility that I recognise the importance of this place, I recognise the place of culture in this current environment,” he said.