President Bola Tinubu will travel from France to South Africa on Monday, December 2, 2024, to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) alongside President Cyril Ramaphosa. The high-level meeting, scheduled for December 3, 2024, will be preceded by a ministerial session on December 2 at the South African Parliament in Cape Town.
Objectives of the 11th Bi-National Commission
The Bi-National Commission, established in 1999, aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Africa. It provides a platform for dialogue on diplomacy, trade, security, and other areas of mutual interest. This year’s meeting is particularly significant as it marks the 25th anniversary of the Commission.
According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, discussions will address bilateral, regional, and international matters. The two leaders will review progress since the 10th BNC session held in Abuja in 2021 and assess commitments made during their June 2024 meeting in Johannesburg.
Areas of Focus
The BNC will feature deliberations across eight working groups, each dedicated to a specific area of cooperation:
- Political Consultations
- Consular and Migration Matters
- Banking and Finance
- Defence and Security
- Manufacturing
- Social Sector Development
- Mines and Energy
- Trade and Investments
High-level officials from both nations are expected to sign several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and agreements, further formalizing their collaboration.
Delegation and Significance
President Tinubu will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including state governors, ministers, and senior government officials. This underscores the strategic importance of the BNC to Nigeria’s foreign policy and economic agenda.
The meeting also serves as a milestone in Nigeria-South Africa relations, reflecting two decades of partnership and mutual interests in regional stability and economic growth.
Tinubu’s Broader Diplomatic Engagements
President Tinubu’s visit to South Africa comes on the heels of a state visit to France, where he met with President Emmanuel Macron. During his meeting in Paris, Tinubu signed agreements aimed at fostering economic and diplomatic ties between the two nations. His back-to-back engagements highlight his administration’s active foreign policy agenda and focus on strengthening Nigeria’s global partnerships.
Bottom Line
While the BNC presents an opportunity to deepen cooperation between Africa’s largest economies, it also raises questions on what tangible outcomes previous sessions of this diplomatic effort has given to Nigeria. The implementation of agreements reached during these dialogued and their impact on pressing domestic challenges, including insecurity and economic hardship in Nigeria remains to be seen, yet we continue to see a recurrence of these trips.
In the end, as President Tinubu concludes his international engagements and returns to Nigeria, Nigerians will like to see whether these diplomatic strides translate into measurable benefits.
