Tinubu leaves France for South Africa to co-chair bi-national commission

President Bola Tinubu is scheduled to leave France for Cape Town, South Africa on Monday, as confirmed by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.

Onanuga announced that President Tinubu will be co-chairing 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,” he said.

“President Tinubu and President Ramaphosa will engage in substantive talks on a wide range of issues of mutual interest, including bilateral, regional and international matters.”

“Building on the commitments from their June 20, 2024, meeting in Johannesburg shortly after President Ramaphosa’s inauguration for a second term in office, the two leaders will review the progress achieved since the 10th session of the BNC held in Abuja from November 29 to December 1, 2021.”

“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.”

According to Onanuga, officials from both countries will sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements during the commission.

The Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission was established in 1999 to strengthen ties between the two nations.

The first session at the Heads of State level took place in October 2019 in Pretoria.

The BNC provides a platform for high-level dialogue and cooperation in areas like diplomacy, economy, trade, security, and more.