President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will lead Nigeria’s delegation to the 11th Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) meeting, scheduled to take place in Cape Town, South Africa, from November 28 to December 3, 2024.
A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, signed by Acting Spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, confirmed Tinubu’s participation in the Presidential Meeting on December 3.
The BNC serves as a platform for strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two nations in areas such as defense, security, education, technology, culture, manufacturing, and energy.
The Nigerian delegation will also include Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, representing the ministry at the Ministerial Meeting on December 2.
The program will feature Senior Officials Meetings (SOM) from November 28 to 30, culminating in the Presidential Meeting.
The BNC aims to foster collaboration to position Africa in global political, economic, and social developments.
It also seeks to enhance trade, investment, technology, education, and cultural exchanges while leveraging the resources of both nations for peace, stability, and development across the continent.
The statement further stated: “The 11th Session of the BNC will among others provide a framework for collaborative and cooperative efforts to bring Africa into the mainstream of global political, social and economic developments; afford the governments and private sectors of both countries to consult each other on their respective economies and investment climates to promote trade and industry; improve bilateral relations in the field of technology, education, health, culture, youth, and sports; utilize the generous endowments of both countries to maximize socio-economic development, through economies of scale, global competitiveness, and specialization; and establish the mechanisms for putting the benefits of economic cooperation to the service of peace, stability, social integration and economic development in other parts of the continent.
President Tinubu, who is currently in France on an official visit at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron, is expected to return in time to lead Nigeria’s efforts at this critical engagement.
