Abuja, January 13, 2024 (Quick News Africa): Emmanuelle Blatmann, the outgoing France Ambassador to Nigeria, revealed on Thursday that while she will miss many aspects of Nigeria, the country’s pepper soup will not be one of them.
Having served as France’s Ambassador to Nigeria since October 2021, Blatmann is set to embark on a new role as the Director for Africa in Paris.
In an interview conducted in Abuja as she prepares to depart, Blatmann candidly stated, “I will be very honest with you and blunt; I will not miss the pepper soup because it’s too peppery. You people tried to kill me several times.”
Blatmann expressed her humorous take on the intensity of pepper in Nigerian cuisine, particularly in the South-West region. However, she expressed her fondness for other Nigerian dishes, noting, “But I like the jollof rice, the moimoi, and the puff puff.”
Despite her humorous take on Nigerian cuisine, Blatmann expressed genuine sentiments about her departure, acknowledging that she would miss the country’s weather, the warmth of the people, the sense of humour, laughter, music, and dancing.
“I will miss the climate, I will miss the love of the people, I will miss the sense of humour, the laughter, the music, the dancing—I dance a lot, I will miss a lot,” she shared.
As Ambassador Blatmann bids farewell to Nigeria, her reflections capture the diverse experiences and flavors that have defined her diplomatic tenure in the country.
