By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa received his Nigerian counterpart, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at Tuynhuys in Cape Town on Tuesday.
Tinubu arrived in South Africa on Tuesday, for the 11th BNC session.
The session aims to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, focusing on various collaborative efforts in economic, security, and cultural spheres.
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.
Ramaphosa extended gratitude to Nigeria for its pivotal role in the international campaign to end apartheid, marking 30 years of diplomatic relations as a milestone that paves the way for a promising future.
“Our strong bonds of friendship provide a firm foundation for more meaningful economic cooperation,” Ramaphosa said.
Nigeria hosts numerous South African companies, while South Africa continues to welcome Nigerian investments.
Both nations agreed that greater efforts are needed to address challenges hindering investment and trade.
“We need to remove the remaining constraints to greater investment, just as we need to address some of the challenges that companies have experienced.
“We are encouraged by the actions being undertaken under your leadership to further strengthen and foster a business environment in Nigeria that offers assurances to investors, including from South Africa. Our government continues with its efforts to improve the ease of doing business in South Africa,” the President said.
Tinubu made resounding remarks and recounted the role of Nigeria in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa.
Nigeria’s contributions to that epic struggle represent noble and outstanding moments in our foreign policy and in the evolution of our role as a leading nation on this continent. We did what we had to do because it was just and because you are our brothers and sisters who deserved freedom and justice, not the discrimination and suppression to which that terrible, unjust and oppressive system subjected this excellent people.
Tinubu also relayed Nigeria’s interest to join South Africa and the African Union in the G20 “so as to strengthen the African voice in the group and globally”.
“As South Africa assumes the presidency of the G20, we urge that the position be leveraged for the development of our continent.
“This high-level strategic partnership between South Africa must become a model of leadership and shared vision that will inspire and take our people into a brighter and greater future of prosperity and development, an Africa That We Want,” the President said.
Ramaphosa committed to support Nigeria in becoming a member of the G20, we have been a lone member of G20.
“Nigeria will be keenly supported by us. We have been a lone member of G20. We shall need to raise the voice of Africa which had been neglected,” Ramaphosa said, adding they will support Nigeria as they did to the African Union to become a member of the G20.
The African Union was accepted as a permanent member of the G20 at the bloc’s summit in New Delhi last year.