France's president Emmanuel Macron to Nigeria and Fela's African shrine

France President, Emmanuel Macron, who is in Mauritanian capital Nouakchott to attend an African Union summit held on Sunday, will go on to Nigeria’s capital Abuja for talks with President Muhammadu Buhari on security and terrorism, before going to Lagos on a special visit to a nightclub founded by Nigerian music legend, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. 

Macron is expected to be hosted by the state government at the African Shrine on Tuesday.

He would also be attending the opening of the French Cultural Centre and the African Business Forum.

The evening will feature concerts, fashion shows by leading African designers and a meeting with stars from Nigeria’s booming Nollywood film industry.

Macron is not a stranger to Nigeria. He trained as a senior civil servant at the French Embassy in Lagos in 2004, seven years after Fela died.

The Afrika Shrine located in the teeming Lagos district of Ikeja replaced Fela’s original club that burnt down in 1977, but for millions of fans it still represents the original Shrine built by the musical maverick. 

The visit will make him the first ever President to enter a venue synonymous with marijuana smoke, sexy backup dancers and more...