In order to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission with President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Bola Tinubu will depart France on Monday and go to Cape Town, South Africa, the Presidency has said.
He will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising state governors, ministers, and senior government officials.
On December 2, 2024, a cabinet meeting will take place at the South African Parliament Building in Cape Town ahead of the presidential BNC, which is set for Tuesday, December 3.
President Tinubu and President Ramaphosa will engage in substantive talks on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including bilateral, regional and international matters, according to a statement issued by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The statement added that building on the commitments from their June 20, 2024, meeting in Johannesburg shortly after President Ramaphosa’s inauguration for a second term in office, the two leaders will review the progress achieved since the 10th session of the BNC held in Abuja from November 29 to December 1, 2021.
Eight working groups, each concentrating on a particular topic of shared interest, will engage in discussions during the BNC’s eleventh session. These include trade and investments, manufacturing, the social sector, mining and energy, banking and finance, defence and security, political discussions, consular and migration, and manufacturing.
At the high-level meeting, officials of both countries will sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements.
The Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission was established in 1999 to further strengthen the ties of friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
The first session at the Heads of State level was held in October 2019 in Pretoria.
The BNC provides a platform for sustaining high-level dialogue and promoting cooperation in critical areas such as diplomacy, economy, trade, security and other areas of mutual interest.
This year’s meeting is particularly significant as it coincides with the 25th anniversary of the Commission, a testament to the enduring friendship and cooperation between Nigeria and South Africa.
The statement said Tinub will return to the country after the BNC meeting.
