His Excellency, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat;
Deputy Governor of Lagos State Government
Mr Karl Toriola, Chief Executive Officer, MTN Nigeria;
Dr Ije Jidenma, Chairperson of the Nigeria-South Africa Chamber of Commerce (NSACC);
Dignitaries and Representatives from Government and the Business Community;
Members of the Media;
Good afternoon, Ladies and gentlemen.
The 11th Session of the Bi-National Commission (BNC) between the Republic of South Africa and the Federal Republic of Nigeria was convened in Cape Town, South Africa, on 03 December 2024, co-chaired by H.E Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa, and H.E Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The BNC reaffirmed that our partnership is not just political, but developmental, built on the recognition that Africa’s transformation depends on how its largest economies work together to unlock trade, industrial, and technological capacity.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Heads of State directed that the five working groups of the BNC, Political and Diplomatic, Defence and Security; Social and Sectoral; Minerals and Energy; and Industry, Trade and Investment must now translate agreed outcomes into time-bound, implementable projects.
We are now entering the implementation phase of the BNC decisions. Turning outcomes into projects requires strong coordination, credible partnerships, and continuous political oversight, hence my visit to your beautiful country.
The BNC instructed that Political Consultations between the two Foreign Ministers become a regular feature of our bilateral engagement. My Working Visit this week formed part of the groundwork for these consultations, which will refine project priorities and ensure that the outcomes of our Heads of State discussions are cascaded into practical actions across responsible ministries.
Distinguished guests,
During my consultations with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, my dear sister, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, we concluded, we concluded the Early Warning Mechanism MoU, a critical bilateral instrument designed to facilitate regular exchange and coordination between our two governments. This mechanism seeks to identify potential challenges or tensions before they escalate and to promote swift, coordinated responses.
Importantly, the Early Warning Mechanism also aims to safeguard the interests of our citizens and businesses operating in both countries. By strengthening communication channels between our respective countries, it will help ensure that legitimate business activities can thrive in an environment of predictability, mutual protection and trust.
Ladies and gentlemen,
One of the most significant deliverables of the BNC was the directive to establish the Joint Ministerial Advisory Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (JMACITI). This council will:
- Identify and remove trade and regulatory bottlenecks.
- Create a structured interface between the public and private sectors; and
- Facilitate targeted investments and industrial partnerships between South African and Nigerian companies.
We are pleased that we had the opportunity to meet with the Permanent Secretary of Industry, Trade, and Investment in Abuja, and he assured us that the mechanism is being operationalized to drive the work of JMACITI and ensure sustained follow-up on resolutions. This is what ‘turning outcomes into projects” looks like in practice, where we are transforming what was in a communique into a functioning, problem-solving mechanism.
Our governments can create enabling frameworks, but the private sector must turn those frameworks into reality. Platforms such as today’s Economic Diplomacy Roundtable hosted by MTN, one of Africa’s most successful multinational conglomerates, demonstrates the practical value of public-private partnerships.
MTN, Stanbic IBTC, and Nigeria – South Africa Chamber of Commerce are not just stakeholders; they are implementers of the BNC vision. Whether it is digital inclusion, financial services integration, or youth innovation, these entities are the connective tissue linking policy ambition to measurable impact.
We therefore call upon the private sector to align investment priorities with BNC outcomes, especially in areas such as the Industrial and supply-chain development, renewable energy partnerships, skills transfer and digital innovation, and creative economy collaborations.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our collective ambition must extend beyond bilateral relations. Both South Africa and Nigeria are founding champions of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the continent’s most important vehicle for building the single African market.
Through the BNC, we are laying the foundations for continental regulatory harmonization, trade facilitation, and industrial linkages. South Africa can expand exports of manufactured goods from automotive components to pharmaceuticals across West Africa. Nigeria can diversify its economy by scaling non-oil exports such as agricultural products, textiles, and light manufacturing.
Together, our collaboration under the AfCFTA will unlock a market of 1.3 billion consumers and shift intra-African trade from merely exchanging raw materials to trading in value-added products and services of the future.
Our cooperation is not only economic, but also political and strategic. The success of our projects depends on policy convergence, regulatory predictability and institutional trust.
The BNC, JMACITI, and our high-level engagements provide an enabling environment to align our priorities, from visa facilitation to standards certification, and from digital trade to creative industries.
We must leverage these mechanisms to institutionalise regular dialogue, accelerate dispute resolution, and create shared platforms for innovation.
Africa’s growth story will be written through collaboration and connectivity. In the digital economy, South Africa’s infrastructure and Nigeria’s innovation can drive a unified digital ecosystem under the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol. In the creative economy, the global success of Nollywood and Afrobeats, combined with South Africa’s strong production capacity and cultural industries, can create jobs and rebrand Africa globally. In green and industrial transformation, we can jointly mobilise African and international finance to power sustainable growth and industrial resilience.
These are projects that embody the outcomes of the BNC, projects that bridge policy and people, diplomacy and development.
Distinguished guests, our task is clear, to move from commitments to implementation, from cooperation to co-delivery. South Africa and Nigeria stand as twin anchors of Africa’s renewal. The Bi-National Commission is not just a diplomatic forum; it is a developmental instrument designed to turn strategic intent into tangible benefits for our people.
Let us therefore work together, government, business, and civil society, to transform our partnership into a catalyst for Africa’s integration. By doing so, we will not only deepen South Africa–Nigeria relations but also advance the vision of the “Africa We Want”, that is inclusive, prosperous, and globally competitive.
Before I conclude, it would be amiss of me not to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the MTN Group for its outstanding work it does through the MTN Media Innovation Programme.
This initiative not only embodies the BNC’s commitment to fostering people-to-people relations, but it also empowers young Nigerian journalists to become storytellers of our shared journey, champions of the South Africa–Nigeria partnership, and advocates for an Africa that tells its own story to the world.
We hope that, in the future, you will be able to extend this impactful programme across the continent, so that young journalists from all corners of Africa can be equipped to shape narratives that reflect our collective aspirations, progress, and unity.
Your efforts contribute directly to strengthening the human and cultural bridges that underpin sustainable diplomacy and inclusive growth.
I thank you!