Key highlights of Tinubu, Ramaphosa meeting for South Africa

Nigeria President Bola Tinubu currently dey for South Africa on official visit, and im and President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa bin get ogbonge meeting on Tuesday wia dem reach some important agreement on behalf of di two kontris.

Both South Africa and Nigeria follow for di largest economies for Africa and di two nations get decades of smooth relationship betwin dem.

Tuesday meeting na di 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) and e happen for Cape town. Top goment officials from both kontris also attend di meeting, including Nigeria Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu.

Top Business executives from di private sector in Nigeria and South Africa also attend di meeting.

Here na di major decisions wey di two kontris bin agree upon for di meeting:

Easier visa processing

President Ramaphosa promise to simplify visa process for Nigeria business pipo wey wan travel to South Africa.

"Qualifying Nigerian business pipo fit get five-year multiple entry visa. In addition, tourists from Nigeria now dey able to apply for visa witout submitting a passport," e tok.

Bifor now, many Nigerians don complain say applying for South Africa visa dey very hard and on many occasions, di kontri no go still issue di visa afta di hectic application processes.

President Ramaphosa say im expect dis 11th Bi-National Commission to help di two kontris to consolidate cooperation for several key areas.

"We need to implement di many decisions wey we don already make and to follow up on progress achieved," e tok.

Support for Nigeria to join di G20

Di G20 na group of 19 kontris plus di European Union wey joinbodi to dey reason mata wey concern di world economy.

Bifor 2023, South Africa na di only African kontri wey follow for di group, but dem later add di African Union in 2023, so President Tinubu don attend di last G20 meetings as one of di AU representatives.

Shortly bifor di meeting betwin Tinubu and Ramaphosa, South Africa launch dia official assumption of di presidency of di G20 starting 1 December 2024.

Nigeria congratulate South Africa and praise dia commitment to inclusive economic growth, industrialization, reduce inequality, and guarantee food security, among oda tins.

For dat event, Ramaphosa promise say South Africa go "keenly" support di bid of Nigeria, "a valued sister kontri", to become a member of di elite group.

"Our (Africa) population go dey grow by leaps and bounds, and diafore, as a continent, we go be a big noise, and we want dat big noise to dey recognised in di form of countries wey go be part of di G20 right now," e tok.

Measures to reduce violence betwin citizens of South Africa and Nigeria

"In di wake of di attacks on Nigerians in South Africa, both kontris don agree to establish an Early Warning Mechanism to prevent such attacks," Bayo Onanuga, di tok-tok pesin of President Tinubu, tok for inside one press statement on Tuesday.

Onanuga tok say di Minister of International Relations and Cooperation for South Africa, Ronald Lamola, promise say both parties go increase dia pace to come up wit a memorandum of understanding wey dem go sign by March 2025 wen Lamola go visit Nigeria.

Nigerians wey dey live for South Africa dey usually face xenophobic attacks from di citizens of di kontri wit di latest attack happening in 2019.

Many Nigerians lose dia businesses and livelihoods as angry mobs burn shops and attack pipo wey no be citizens on top allegations say na dem dey cause di rising drug problem among di youths of di kontri.

President Ramaphosa bin condemn di attacks dat time but e continue sotee one Nigeria airline bin offer to airlift Nigerians wey wan leave South Africa for free.

Interest in Nigeria lithium

According to Bayo Onanuga, President Ramaphosa bin also express interest for South Africa to collaborate wit Nigeria "to harness critical minerals, particularly lithium, to drive dia green energy transition and support di development of electric vehicles (EV) batteries".

Nigeria get plenty lithium deposits for states like Kwara, Kogi, Ekiti, and Nasarawa, and just weeks ago, Minister for Solid Mineral Resources, Dele Alake tok say di federal goment go soon commission lithium and rare earth processing plants by di first quarter of 2025.

For dia meeting, Ramaphosa tell Tinubu say South Africa don develop one intiative wey dem believe say e go drive massive investments in renewable energy and di green economy ova di next few years.

"We suppose leverage each other's capabilities in minerals processing. We must work together to ensure say critical minerals dey beneficiated at source. We call on businesses to support and involve diasef for dis initiatives," Ramaphosa tok.

Advisory council to boost trade and investment

Both Presidents Tinubu and Ramaphosa assure eacch oda say dia respecctive kontris dey fully open to do business.

Tinubu promise say im administration go provide stability, security, and di rule of law for businesses to thrive. E tok say di goment don already implement major reforms wey go make Nigeria even more attractive for investors.

"Di reforms don already begin to see di light of di day. You no get any oda beta investment dan in Nigeria. You no go fit earn beta on top your investments for any wia else except for Nigeria," Tinubu tok.

"Nigeria and South Africa na co-joined twins wey join togeda for dia hips not only for survival but for di prosperity of di pipo."

On im own side, President Ramaphose recall how Nigeria and South Africa bin launch di Joint Ministerial Advisory Council on Trade in 2021 wen e bin visit Nigeria.

"Today, we don agree on di full operationalisation of di Council. Dis go support a conducive environment for improved trade and investment," e tok.

"We dey greatly encouraged by di presence of South African companies for Nigeria, just as we welcome Nigerian companies for South Africa.

"We sha recognise say challenges still dey within our operating environments wey dey limit di expansion of investment and sometimes impact on the operations of companies.

"We need to remove di remaining constraints to greater investment, just as we need to address some of di challenges wey companies dey experience."

Collaborate during di AU elections

Di two presidents also agree say dia kontris go find way to work togeda during di African Union elections wey go happen in February 2025, to ensure say na only candidates wey dey committed to advancing di development agenda of Africa go emerge as leaders.

South Africa beg Nigeria to support dia candidate, Ms Swazi Tshabalala, for di position of President of the African Development Bank, wen di tenure of di current President - Nigeria's Akinwumi Adesina - expire for September 2025.

Similarly, Nigeria beg South Africa to support di re-election of Ambassador Bankole Adeoye as di African Union Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.