French President Emmanuel Macron threw audience at the New Afrika Shrine into a fit of laughter on Tuesday night when he declared that “what happens in the shrine remains in the shrine.”
Mr Macron made the statement when he was asked about his earlier visits to the Shrine when he served as an intern in Nigeria at the French Embassy in 2002.
Asked by former CNN presenter, Keturah King, to share some his fondest memories of the Shrine, Macron said: “Obviously I will not share all those memories because what happens in the Shrine remains in the Shrine.”
Speaking on changing using culture, media and the arts to tell the African story, Macron said: “We have to build together a new narrative that is not based on what is important to Europe but what is important for Africa. How the continent wants to import their culture.
“Some people say Nigeria is unique; some other people say it’s a place of terrorism. The two messages are true at the same time. Africa is a young continent and I believe it is possible to change.
“All we need is to let African people speak about Africa. You always use a biased approach to tell your story.
“What we need is your generation of artists, journalists, civil servants to speak and explain about Africa. This is the way to change and make a new Africa. European leaders cannot lead Africa. Africans have to build their own future here.”
