Speech by Gautier Mignot, EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS on Europe Day, 8 May 2026

Distinguished officials, partners and friends from Nigeria, Europe and the international community

On behalf of my wife and myself, of the whole European Union Delegation team and of the Ambassadors of our Member States, I would like to thank you wholeheartedly for joining us on the celebration of our Europe Day.

The presence of my Member States colleagues here with us on stage is a reminder that our Union draws its strength from the dynamism and diversity of its 27 Member States: we are strong because we are a united team, Team Europe. I am also glad to have on stage H.E. the Ambassador of Ukraine, a country which, while courageously and successfully resisting the Russian aggression for more than 4 years now, is also progressing on its path towards membership to the EU.

Appreciation to representative(s) of FG and (tbc) ECOWAS on stage

I want to acknowledge all our partners represented today: from the Federal and State governments, from our sister Community ECOWAS, from our Member States, from the United Nations family, from civil society, from the private sector. The EU offer is special because it is based on this unique multiplicity of partnerships through which the funds that we invest are channelled and used to benefit and empower citizens on the ground, especially women and youth.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Celebration does not go well with long diplomatic speeches. This is why, rather than enumerating the many achievements of these past twelve months which have been extremely positive for the EU-Nigeria partnership, we will play in a minute a video showcasing much better and quicker than I could do some of these achievements and more generally the sense of our partnership with Nigeria and ECOWAS.

And so I will limit my intervention tonight to just three short but important messages.

First, in these troubled times for our regions, for our people, for humanity as a whole, we are TOGETHER, Europeans and Nigerians. We are navigating on stormy waters but with the same compass: the belief in progress, in the rule of law, in mutually beneficial international cooperation and, most importantly, in human dignity and rights. Many other nations represented tonight or even most of them also subscribe to these principles. We believe as well in democracy and we Europeans trust that Nigerians will be up to their great democratic tradition on the occasion of the 2027 general elections.

Second, I want to thank all those Nigerians who have welcomed me with open arms over the last year, as I have continued touring the country: from Zamfara to Anambra, from Katsina to Bayelsa, from Lagos to Benue and Bauchi States. In all of the 20 States I have already visited, I have witnessed, not only Nigeria's great diversity and dynamism but also its unmatched hospitality. Our High Representative and Vice-President Madam Kaja Kallas also had a chance to enjoy this fantastic hospitality during her recent visit to Abuja and Lagos and she was extremely grateful for it.

Finally, I want to invite you to stay tuned with us as there will be soon upcoming initiatives and more good news to come for our partnership. Let me mention just a particularly significant one: on 25 June, we will organise in Lagos our 10^th EU-Nigeria Business Forum, to boost mutually beneficial investment and create more jobs and opportunities, with the support of our Global Gateway investment strategy.

Dear partners and friends,

Together for prosperity and jobs, Together for peace and security, Together to protect our planet, Together to bring our people closer. Let's scale up the EU-Nigeria partnership!

Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria! Long live the European Union!