South Africa and Nigeria have agreed to boost bilateral trade between them and increase the number of small-to-medium sized Nigerian businesses in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in Pretoria on Thursday.
Ramaphosa said this when he and visiting Nigerian counterpart Muhammadu Buhari briefed the media following their meeting in Pretoria on Thursday.
Buhari is in the country on a three-day state visit, coming soon after xenophobic attacks on foreigners, including Nigerians, had cooled down in South Africa.
Some 12 people died in the mayhem, two foreign nationals and 10 locals. No Nigerians died in the unfortunate incidents, the police said.
“Nigeria accounts for 64% of South Africa’s total trade (worth US$4 billion) in the West African region and is one of our largest trading partners on the continent itself,” Ramaphosa said.
He added: “Our two governments have committed themselves to creating an enabling environment for both countries [to do] business in both countries.”
According to the host president, incentives would be provided for Nigerian firms to operate in South Africa to make doing business here easier for them.
NM/jn/APA