President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that his administration will continue to deepen diplomatic and economic ties with South Africa in a renewed effort to increase both nations economic prosperity.
Tinubu while discussing with the just sworn-in President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, stated that the two countries must continue to strengthen bilateral and diplomatic relations for the benefit of the continent.
In a statement on his official X account on Thursday, Tinubu said that the meeting is aimed at addressing the countries’ challenges through robust trade and economic strategies.
“I had the honour of attending President Cyril Ramaphosa’s inauguration in Pretoria yesterday, and today I met with him for a bilateral meeting. Our discussions focused on strengthening cooperation and enhancing the economic ties between Nigeria and South Africa,” he said.
“We intend to work together to address our countries’ challenges through robust trade and economic strategies, and I am hopeful that we can lead our nations towards increased prosperity and unity,” Tinubu added.
The president’s meeting comes on the heels of a viral video of Ramaphosa purportedly ignoring Tinubu at the inauguration on Wednesday which has generated a lot of controversy on social media.
Meanwhile, the presidency said the video was taken out of context while releasing more videos revealing where the re-elected president was welcoming Tinubu.
Tinubu travelled to Pretoria, South Africa for Ramaphosa’s inauguration as he was sworn in for a second term in a historic election that made the ruling African National Congress (ANC) formed a coalition.
The new government comprises Ramaphosa’s ANC, the Democratic Alliance (DA), which is the main opposition, and other smaller parties.
The ANC lost its controlling majority in last month’s election after ruling for 30 years since the end of apartheid.
“Looking forward to collaborating at this crucial juncture for the progress of our continent,” Tinubu said.
