I've shot Nikon SLR and DSLR for the past 30 years. The FG is a decent place to start. I've never owned one but I have had the loan of one and it's a nice, simple body that will do most things well - though, as it's a budget model, the build quality is not at the top end for the brand.
As far as what lenses, that is dictated by the subject matter being shot, your preferred "look" and your budget. I tend to shoot mostly travel and street with SLRs and a quick 50mm lens is a good place to start. There are a number of manual focus 50mm Nikkors out there. The "E" series is about the most basic (and cheapest) but it is still a fine lens and perfectly sharp enough. If money is less of an object, I recommend going for the Ai or Ai-S versions. If your friend can afford it, the f1.4 is a real stunner. I own the f1.2 Ai lens which isn't so sharp at f1.2 but it has a lovely look when shot wide open and is incredibly sharp from f1.8 onwards. It is heavy, though, as it contains a lot of glass.
My "go to" rig for something light and easily transportable is an FM2N or FM3A (two of the finest ever made by Nikon that don't carry the "professional" tag) matched with an Ai-S 35mm f2.0 and 85mm f2.0. If I want three lenses (and wider options), I drop the 35mm and replace it with a 24mm f2.8 and my 50mm f1.2. As Francois says, the FE (and FE2) are great bodies (I have an FE) but they are battery dependent for metering and shutter. The FM range needs a battery but only for the meter.
If your friend can afford a professional standard body, the F3 (or F3HP is they wear spectacles) is the way to go. It's not better than an F or F2 but it's usually cheaper, very reliable and has brick-like build quality. The F4, F4s, F5 and F6 were the start and apogee of auto-focus respectively. They are very heavy, very battery dependent but you will not find a better 35mm SLR in my opinion. Olympus, Canon, Pentax and Minolta fans will disagree but there's a number of reasons to do with availability, reliability, build quality and range of lenses available why most professionals used Nikon F-series in the 1970s to the advent of digital photography. Even now, Nikon kit more than holds its own.
Another benefit of having a Nikon rig (and this isn't taking a pop at Canon as used to use their kit to shoot weddings) is that Nikon has stuck with the F-mount since the late 1950s. Okay, the newer lenses have electronic sensors and are auto-focus, etc. However, the majority of Nikon lenses ever made will work on even Nikon's most modern SLR / DSLR. There are exceptions, of course, and there are some lenses where you lose the metering but most lenses will work and they are mostly exceptional performers.
As with all brands, Nikon produced some budget kit lenses with plastic elements and build quality like a yoghurt pot - but not many. One word of advice, avoid lenses containing reference to "DX" as they were made specifically for crop sensor digital bodies and will not fill the frame on a film SLR.
To sum up:
- Decide which lenses suit the subject you'll be shooting most
- Work out whether you prefer travelling light and at speed or whether you're happy to lug heavy kit (or a lot of kit) with you
- Buy the best quality lenses in the best condition you can afford (you will have lenses a lot longer than any given camera body)
- Buy the body that fits your hand best and you can use with it pressed to your eye while you're wearing mittens in cold weather
- Always buy with at least a 6 month guarantee and from a reputable dealer (unless you're happy to take a chance - most kit is now 30+ years old and will need servicing occasionally)
