President Bola Tinubu will leave Paris, France, to Cape Town, South Africa, on Monday, December 2, to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) with President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The high-level meeting, slated for December 3, 2024, will focus on strengthening bilateral relations and fostering cooperation across various sectors.
According to a statement released on Sunday by Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president on information and strategy, the event will be preceded by a ministerial meeting on December 2 at South Africa’s Parliament Building in Cape Town.
“President Bola Tinubu will leave France on Monday for Cape Town, South Africa, to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The presidential BNC, scheduled for Tuesday, December 3, will be preceded by a ministerial meeting on December 2, 2024, at the South African Parliament Building in Cape Town,” Onanuga said.
Discussions will cover bilateral, regional, and international issues of shared interest, building on commitments made during the leaders’ previous engagement in June 2024, the presidency stated.
The BNC, marking its 25th anniversary this year, symbolises the longstanding friendship and collaboration between Nigeria and South Africa. Since its establishment in 1999, the commission has served as a platform for high-level dialogue on areas including diplomacy, trade, security, and economic cooperation.
“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.
“At the high-level meeting, officials of both countries will sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements,” the statement reads in part.
Tinubu will be accompanied by a high-ranking delegation, including state governors, ministers, and senior government officials. He is scheduled to return to Nigeria after the conclusion of the BNC deliberations.
The first Heads of State-level BNC session took place in 2019 in Pretoria, South Africa, while the 10th session was held in Abuja in late 2021.
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