President Bola Tinubu will depart France on Monday for Cape Town, South Africa, to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) alongside South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s spokesman, revealed that the BNC’s high-level deliberations, scheduled for Tuesday, December 3, will be preceded by a ministerial meeting on Monday, December 2, at the South African Parliament Building in Cape Town.
During the session, Presidents Tinubu and Ramaphosa will hold extensive talks covering bilateral, regional, and international issues of shared interest. They will also review progress made since their last meeting on June 20, 2024, in Johannesburg and the 10th BNC session held in Abuja from November 29 to December 1, 2021.
This year’s BNC will feature deliberations across eight working groups focusing on key areas such as political consultations, consular and migration issues, banking and finance, defence and security, manufacturing, the social sector, mines and energy, and trade and investment.
Onanuga noted that several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements are expected to be signed by officials from both countries during the session.
The Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission, established in 1999, serves as a critical platform for fostering high-level dialogue and cooperation between the two nations. Its first Heads of State-level session was held in October 2019 in Pretoria.
The BNC aims to strengthen collaboration in diplomacy, trade, security, and other strategic sectors.
