Africa and Europe must seize the moment to build new agricultural partnership

When leaders from across Europe and Africa gathered in Paris for the 2026 Salon International de l’Agriculture, the world-renowned International Agricultural Show, it was clear that the conversation around global food systems is changing.

Agriculture is no longer simply a sector of subsistence. It is a strategic frontier for trade, investment, technology and climate resilience.

This year, Nigeria’s presence at the show symbolised something larger: the emergence of a deeper economic partnership between Africa and Europe built on value chains rather than commodities.

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Nowhere was this clearer than in the Nigerian Pavilion, launched on 23 February 2026 at Pavilion 7 of the** Paris Expo Porte de Versailles,** which brought together leaders from government, business and finance to showcase Nigeria’s agricultural potential and deepen economic ties between Africa and Europe.

Sponsored by the France Nigeria Business Council (FNBC) and supported by Access Bank, Dangote Group, Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc, BUA Group and Zenith Bank Plc, the pavilion reflected the growing commitment of African institutions to building global agricultural partnerships.

I had the privilege of representing Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of Access Holdings and Chairman of the France Nigeria Business Council, at the launch of the pavilion.

Among those present were His Excellency Dikko Umaru Radda, Executive Governor of Katsina State; Hon. Stephen Idehenre, Edo State Commissioner for Agriculture; Jim Ovia, CFR, Founder and Chairman of Zenith Bank; Dame Adaora Umeoji, Chief Executive Officer of Zenith Bank; Sadiq Usman, Managing Director of Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) Agro, and Director, Strategic Engagement & Partnership, FMN Holdings Plc; Justin Maria, Director, Access Bank UK (Paris Branch); Jean Haas, Secretary-General of the France Nigeria Business Council (FNBC); Victor Willie, Head of Corporate Communication & Reputation Management at Access Holdings and Administrative Manager of France Nigeria Business Council; a senior representative of BUA Group and representatives of the French Embassy in Nigeria.

Also present was Emmanuelle Blatmann, former French Ambassador to Nigeria and now Director for Africa and the Indian Ocean at France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, a reminder of the deep diplomatic foundations underpinning the growing economic partnership between the two countries.

That commitment was further reinforced on February 26, when Baron Jean-Noël Barrot, France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, visited the Nigerian Pavilion and reiterated the French Government’s commitment to deepening cooperation with Nigeria to facilitate trade and investment between both countries.

A Growing Trade Relationship

Nigeria already plays an important role in France’s trade relationship with Africa.

Today, Nigeria is the largest market for French exporters in Sub-Saharan Africa, accounting for approximately 8 per cent of France’s trade with the continent, including 13% of French imports from Africa and around 2% of French exports.

Agricultural products remain among the leading exports from France to Nigeria, highlighting the importance of stronger value-chain partnerships between both economies. Unlocking the full potential of this relationship requires financial institutions capable of bridging markets and facilitating cross-border trade.

Paris as a Strategic Gateway

This is where Access Bank plays a critical role.

Through The Access Bank UK Limited, Paris Branch, the bank provides a platform for strengthening trade and investment flows between Europe and Africa. The branch, regulated by the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR), has become an important gateway linking African businesses with European corporates, development institutions and investors.

From Paris, the bank supports trade and investments across sectors including agriculture, infrastructure, energy, manufacturing and technology, facilitating transactions that connect African production with European markets.

That strategy is anchored in a growing network of international financial hubs including London, Paris, Dubai, Hong Kong, Malta and Mauritius, enabling the bank to support cross-border commerce between Africa and major global economies.

The Paris branch is also uniquely positioned to support the growth of French exports into Nigeria. With deep knowledge of the Nigerian market and the wider capabilities of the Access Bank UK Limited, it serves as a key confirming bank in Europe for Nigerian trade transactions.

Over the years, the bank has facilitated billions of dollars in trade finance and cross-border investments, helping to expand commercial flows between Europe and Africa while supporting businesses operating along the corridor.

From Dialogue to Opportunity

Events such as the Salon International de l’Agriculture demonstrate the importance of platforms that bring together policymakers, businesses and financial institutions.

The Nigerian Pavilion created a space where these actors could meet and explore opportunities across agricultural value chains, from fertilizer and mechanization to food processing, storage and export logistics.

For financial institutions, these engagements can translate into tangible economic outcomes:

• Trade finance supporting agricultural exports and imports
• Investment financing for food processing and logistics infrastructure
• Partnerships enabling European agribusiness companies to expand into African markets

Through its presence in Paris and its extensive network across Africa, Access Bank is well positioned to facilitate these transactions.

A Partnership for The Future

What became clear in Paris is that the next phase of Africa–Europe relations will be defined not by aid but by partnership.

Europe brings technology, financing expertise and access to global markets.
Africa brings land, entrepreneurship, talent and one of the world’s fastest-growing consumer markets. Connecting these strengths requires institutions capable of bridging continents.

At Access Holdings, our ambition is to help build that bridge, creating a globally connected African financial ecosystem that enables trade, investment and sustainable development.

The Nigerian Pavilion at this year’s agricultural show offered a glimpse of what such collaboration can achieve. The task now is to turn those conversations into transactions, those partnerships into projects and those opportunities into shared prosperity.

If Africa and Europe succeed in doing so, agriculture will not only feed the world.

It will also shape the next era of global economic cooperation.

• _Innocent C. Ike is the Group Managing Director/CEO of Access Holdings PLC _