Nigeria has formally requested South Africa’s support in its bid to secure full membership in the G20, BRICS, and the BRICS New Development Bank. The appeal was made on Monday by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during the ministerial session of the 11th Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) in Cape Town.
In addition to seeking membership, Nigeria aims to assume leadership roles in thematic discussions under South Africa’s G20 presidency. South Africa recently took over the presidency of the G20—a coalition of the world’s leading economies—on December 1. As a key member of the expanded BRICS bloc, South Africa is part of a group that contributes approximately 37% of the global GDP and is a driving force behind global economic growth.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also called on South Africa to support Nigeria’s efforts to mediate peace in Sudan. She highlighted President Bola Tinubu’s involvement in the African Union’s ad hoc mediation committee and his commitment to resolving the crisis to promote regional stability.
“We are deeply committed to resolving the Sudan crisis,” Odumegwu-Ojukwu said. “In this regard, we request South Africa’s backing to expedite the peace process and reduce regional conflicts. With peace, we can achieve progress and development in all spheres.”
She also commended officials from both nations for drafting a communique and addressing issues raised during the BNC session. The finalized communique will be presented to President Tinubu and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during the presidential session of the BNC on Tuesday.
South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Dr. Roland Lamola, acknowledged Nigeria’s requests and affirmed South Africa’s commitment to amplifying Africa’s voice during its G20 presidency.
“We will rely on Nigeria’s wisdom as we undertake this significant responsibility,” Lamola said. He also emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral relations to improve the lives of citizens in both nations.
Key areas of collaboration discussed at the BNC session included trade, investment, tourism, health, education, agriculture, ICT, artificial intelligence, arts and culture, climate change, defense, and security. Lamola stressed the need to expedite pending agreements under the BNC framework to enhance bilateral cooperation.
Earlier, Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed Nigeria’s commitment to deepening its partnership with South Africa in infrastructure development and capacity building, especially in the mining sector. She announced Nigeria’s proposal of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for collaboration on certifying Nigerian mining geologists and professionals to boost their global competitiveness.
“Nigeria is ready to explore new areas of cooperation with South Africa,” she noted. “This includes co-financing infrastructure projects that benefit both economies and building capacity for our mining professionals to meet global standards.”
The ministerial meeting paves the way for high-level discussions between Presidents Tinubu and Ramaphosa, where pivotal agreements and initiatives to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two nations will be unveiled.
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