Tinubu to co-chair bi-national commission with Ramaphosa in South Africa

President Bola Tinubu will leave France on Monday, December 2, 2024, for Cape Town in South Africa to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, December 1.

Onanuga noted that the presidential BNC, scheduled for Tuesday, December 3, will be preceded by a ministerial meeting at the South African Parliament Building in Cape Town on Monday.

He said Tinubu and Ramaphosa will engage in substantive talks on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including bilateral, regional, and international matters.

The presidential spokesman stated: “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.

“The 11th session of the BNC will feature deliberations across eight working groups, each focusing on a specific area of mutual interest. These include political consultations, consular and migration, banking and finance, defence and security, manufacturing, social sector, mines and energy, and trade and investments.

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“At the high-level meeting, officials of both countries will sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements.”

Onanuga disclosed that Tinubu will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising state governors, ministers, and senior government officials.

He added that the president will return to Nigeria after the BNC meeting.

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 Pretoria in October 2019.

According to the Presidency, 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.

The Star