Nigeria, South Africa deepen ties, review bilateral progress

Nigeria and South Africa have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening political, economic, and social cooperation as both nations work to overcome lingering challenges in their bilateral engagements.

The renewed commitment followed a high-level political consultation held in Abuja on Tuesday, co-chaired by Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and South Africa’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Thandi Moraka.

The meeting was convened under the framework of a Memorandum of Understanding signed during the 10th Bi-National Commission (BNC) in 2021 and reaffirmed at the 11th session in 2024.

According to a joint communiqué issued at the end of the talks, both countries reviewed progress in several key areas, including trade and investment, defence, migration, multilateral diplomacy, and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 — while identifying areas requiring renewed focus and coordination.

The communiqué reaffirmed the shared commitment of both nations to multilateral cooperation under the United Nations and the African Union frameworks, adding that Nigeria and South Africa will continue to support each other’s candidatures at various multilateral institutions and align positions on global issues of common interest.

While progress since the last BNC was acknowledged, both sides expressed concern over delays in implementing some agreements. A notable case was the pending Memorandum of Understanding on Standards and Standardisation between Nigeria’s Standards Organisation and the South African Bureau of Standards.

Originally scheduled for signing in March 2025, the Nigerian delegation disclosed that the document is still undergoing legal review at the Ministry of Justice.

Despite these challenges, the two countries recorded notable milestones in other sectors. In April 2025, South Africa’s Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, Gwede Mantashe, signed a mineral sector cooperation agreement with Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals, Dele Alake — a partnership aimed at driving investment, technology transfer, and knowledge sharing between the mining sectors of both nations.

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In the aviation sector, the communiqué highlighted progress following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Air Traffic and Navigation Services of South Africa and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on January 17, 2025, in Johannesburg.

Migration and consular issues also featured prominently, with both countries agreeing to accelerate the implementation of the Early Warning Mechanism MoU to ensure faster resolution of migration and consular challenges. They further reaffirmed plans to ease visa restrictions for business travellers and called for the long-delayed 3rd Consular and Migration Forum — last agreed upon at the 10th BNC — to be convened in Pretoria during the first quarter of 2026.

The ministers also commended progress made by the Defence and Security Working Group, which met in Abuja in September for the 6th Session of the Defence Committee. However, they emphasised the urgent need to convene the Joint Ministerial Advisory Council on Industry, Trade, and Investment, whose Terms of Reference are yet to be finalised despite a directive from the 11th BNC.

To ensure better follow-through on bilateral commitments, both countries formally established a Joint Implementation Committee. The new body, co-chaired by heads of the respective bilateral working groups, will meet quarterly to track progress and report to both governments.

The meeting also welcomed preparations for the upcoming G20 Africa Outreach Meeting on Industrialisation and Agriculture, slated to take place in Abuja on November 3, 2025.

Both sides agreed that the next Political Consultation — preceded by a Mid-Term Review Meeting — will hold in Abuja in 2026, on dates to be mutually decided through diplomatic channels.

In her closing remarks, Ambassador Odumegwu-Ojukwu thanked her South African counterpart and delegation for what she described as “a frank, open, and constructive engagement that allowed us to make meaningful progress.”