Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday in Abuja received his South African counterpart, President Cyril Ramaphosa, who is on a state visit to Nigeria.
Receiving President Ramaphosa at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Buhari said that visit was successful in spite of the scare generated by Omicron, the new coronavirus variant.
The Special Adviser to the Nigerian President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said in a statement after the two leaders addressed a news conference in Abuja that Buhari hailed the new Memoranda of Understanding between Nigeria and South Africa and stated that the existing ones were reviewed for the progress and prosperity of the citizens of both countries.
”We have now come to the end of a very successful State Visit and the 10th Session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission.
”Despite the scare generated by the new COVID-19 variant, we have been able to hold successful meetings, while observing strict COVID-19 protocols, through fraternal cooperation and understanding.
”I sincerely wish to thank my brother and colleague, President Cyril Ramaphosa for honouring my invitation. I equally wish to thank members of the South African delegation and the experts that worked tirelessly during the Senior Officials Meeting.
”Today, has witnessed the signing of new Memoranda of Understanding between Nigeria and South Africa in diverse areas, including Youth Development, Women and Child Empowerment and Political Consultations; critical areas that will lead to increased people to people contact,” he said.
The Nigerian leader also stated that some of the existing MOUs signed during previous Bi-National Commission meetings, which included Military Cooperation, Power, Cooperation in the field of Geology, Mining, and Mineral Processing, Oil and Gas and several others were reviewed.
Buhari announced that the two countries also jointly launched the Nigeria-South Africa Youth Dialogue, which according to him, is another veritable tool for interaction among our youth with the aim of creating shared values and aspirations. “Many of our youth, from Nigeria and South Africa, joined us virtually during the launch,” he said.
According to the statement, Buhari thanked Ramaphosa for initiating the Youth Dialogue, noting that continuous interaction between the youth of the two countries will further break down barriers and suspicion among our people.
The Nigerian leader added that the inauguration of the Joint Ministerial Advisory Council on Industry, Trade and Investment, would enable the private sectors of the two largest economies in Africa to further promote economic cooperation and development.
”We appreciate that we need to do much more to achieve further integration of our two economies and take full advantage of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA),” he said.
In his remarks, Ramaphosa thanked the leaders of Nigeria, Cote D’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal for expressing their dissatisfaction with the travel ban imposed on South Africa and sister neighbouring countries in the aftermath of the discovery of the Omicron COVID-19 variant by South African scientists.
He described the imposition of the ban by some western countries as arbitrary, discriminatory, unscientific and unproductive in the long run.
”This is a global pandemic and overcoming it requires that we collaborate and work together as a collective.
”The resulting damage to this travel ban to the economies of the countries affected will be considerable and long-lasting,” he said.
GIK/APA