Cape Town: The 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) commenced on Monday with a ministerial meeting held at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa. The meeting is co-chaired by Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Dr Roland Lamola, South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, revealed in a statement that the ministerial meeting serves as a precursor to the presidential BNC scheduled for Tuesday. During this event, President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria and President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa will jointly lead discussions. The ministerial session aims to review progress in bilateral cooperation across various sectors and finalize agreements for presentation at the presidential BNC.
The discussions focus on key areas such as trade and investment, political consultations, consular and m
igration matters, defense and security cooperation, and collaboration in banking, energy, manufacturing, and the social sector. Nigeria’s delegation to the ministerial meeting includes ministers of state for defense, women affairs, industry, trade and investments, agriculture and food security, communication, innovation, and digital economy, along with the comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service. They are joined by their South African counterparts and senior government officials from both nations.
This year’s Bi-National Commission marks the 25th anniversary of the framework, which was established to strengthen ties between Africa’s two leading economies.