By Lawrence Olaoye
President Bola Tinubu has warned that the leadership of Nigeria and South Africa must be mindful of overt and covert hostilities against the success of their partnership.
The President gave this warning yesterday in Cape Town in his remarks at the 11th Bi-National Commission (BNC) Meeting held in Cape Town, South Africa.
‘’As the adage goes ‘the glory of the eagle does not please the kite,’ let us remain mindful of overt and covert hostilities that the success of our partnership will attract. Minister seeks Sanwo-Olu’s support for infrastructure devt in Lagos ‘’If we are vigilant, committed and persistent, we will surely soar like the eagles over the reach of predators.
So, we must remain strongly united on purpose,” he stated. On the achievements under the BNC framework, established 25 years ago, Tinubu noted that despite many setbacks over 30 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements were in operation.
He, however, stressed the need for actionable implementation of agreements. ‘’Let us not count our successes by the number of MoU’s and agreements signed. ‘’They will be mere papers until we implement them in spirit and letters.
This is the job of our senior officials and I must implore them to redouble their efforts in this regard, ‘’ he said. Recognising the continent’s youth as its most valuable resource, the Nigerian leader called for closer ties to harness the potential of young people in both nations.
He acknowledged that South African companies such as MTN and Multichoice have made significant inroads into the Nigerian market, while Nigerian businesses like Dangote Group and Access Bank have extended their presence in South Africa. ‘’But that is not enough. I cannot pretend that all has gone satisfactorily well. I, however, believe we can identify the gaps and challenges including persistent irritants in our relations and deal with them appropriately.
To me, this is the real essence of the BNC. ‘’Together, we can act as engines of economic integration and development in our respective sub-regions as well as on the continent,” he said.
On mining, the Nigerian leader proposed joint action to tackle illegal mining and enhance capacity development among professionals.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s support for South Africa during the dark days of apartheid, Tinubu described it as a historic responsibility discharged with pride and determination. Tinubu also used the occasion to thank Ramaphosa for attending his inauguration in 2023 in Abuja and for being one of the ‘earliest guests.’
The South African leader announced that tourists from Nigeria were now able to apply for a visa without submitting a passport. He added that South Africa has simplified its visa processes to facilitate travel for Nigerian business people and tourists, with measures such as five-year multiple entry visas.
He also pledged South Africa’s commitment to remove constraints to greater investment and to address challenges faced by companies in both countries.
Ramaphosa acknowledged actions being undertaken by the Nigerian government to further strengthen and foster a business environment that offered assurances to investors, including from South Africa.
On the G20 presidency, the South African leader reaffirmed that Africa’s development and the challenges facing countries of the Global South would be firmly placed on the G20 agenda.
‘’It will be the first time that the G20 Leaders’ Summit will be held on African soil. We will seek to galvanise support for the AU’s Agenda 2063, as we pursue an inclusive global agenda.
‘’For South Africa, it is our view that in shaping global discourse, programs should be tailored to ensure that in our societies, no one is left behind,” he said.
