Paris Pitch: Tinubu Courts Creditors as 2027 Looms

President Bola Tinubu flew to Paris on May 5 with two audiences in mind. The first sat across the table: Citibank, Amundi and other global creditors holding the keys to Nigeria’s economic credibility. The second waits at home: Nigerian voters who will decide in January 2027 whether he deserves a second term.

Tinubu came bearing results: Nigeria raised $2.35 billion in eurobonds in late 2025;  the economy grew 11.2 per cent in dollar terms last year, and foreign exchange reserves have increased significantly. These are the numbers the president carried into the meeting, and they opened doors that might otherwise have remained shut.

But the creditors wanted something beyond numbers. They asked for a “post-2027 agenda.” Apparently, they wanted assurance that the man seeking re-election would not abandon painful reforms after the votes were counted. Tinubu promised policy consistency, fiscal discipline and something rarer in Nigerian governance: quarterly financial reporting.

Tinubu also introduced his new Finance Minister. Taiwo Oyedele has replaced Wale Edun, whose quiet departure signals a shift in how the administration plans to handle fiscal data and transparency. Oyedele stood before the same creditors and pledged disciplined debt management.

According to experts, the Paris meeting served a second purpose. It was a reassurance tour designed to show that internal friction inside the economic team had not derailed the reform momentum. The Central Bank has seen over 1,000 staff departures since early 2025, officially voluntary but widely viewed as a purge. Opposition groups have called the administration’s economic direction “clueless” and previously demanded the CBN governor’s resignation.

None of that made it into Tinubu’s Paris talking points. He smiled, shook hands, introduced his new minister, and left the room with global creditors still willing to listen. Whether they will still be listening after the 2027 campaign begins is another question entirely.