Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, President Bola Tinubu on Monday engaged in a bilateral discussion with his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, welcoming mining industries of that country to invest in Nigeria’s solid minerals development sector.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu advanced his economic development diplomatic drive for investment attraction during the engagement.
“South African Mining industries have a role to play in the Nigerian solid minerals development sector,” the Nigerian leader told South Africa’s president.
“Your business community has done well in Nigerian Telecommunications. We have great mineral wealth across our land, and you have good expertise in this area. We expect to deliver jobs and mutually beneficial results in this area as brother and sister countries.”
“We have all the human and natural resources required between our nations. We can collaborate in a mutually beneficial way that enriches our populations. South African Mining industries have a role to play in the Nigerian solid minerals development sector. Your business community has done well in Nigerian Telecommunications. We have great mineral wealth across our land, and you have good expertise in this area. We expect to deliver jobs and mutually beneficial results in this area as brother and sister countries,” the President affirmed.
Referencing President Tinubu’s quick implementation of what he called “brave” economic reforms, the South African President agreed that the two countries have much more wealth to create together in close and intentional partnership, with each nation leveraging on each other’s respective strengths.
“We are two major economies on our continent, and it is important that we deepen economic ties, particularly in light of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. We are very keen on the deepening of our economic relations,” the South African President said.
The South African President emphasized that history has proven that Nigeria and South Africa can move the world on matters of mutual concern when the two nations operate on the same wavelength.
“We would love to see Nigeria and South Africa working closely together on a number of issues because whenever we join hands, we have made an impact globally through those joint positions. Together, we can move the global south forward. We are a continent that has been plundered. And wealthy nations made so much of it from us, and we must seek out partners who will help us to advance our own interests,” the South African President emphasised.
Recognising President Tinubu’s effective stewardship as the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State, the South African leader said that Southern Africa needed to emulate the solidarity being demonstrated in West Africa, following the Niger Crisis.
“We believe that we have a lot to learn from ECOWAS and its unity in reaching consensus positions on sub-regional matters. This is something we seek to emulate in the Southern African sub-region in view of events in Mozambique and other areas,” President Ramaphosa said.
The South African leader also used the opportunity of the bilateral engagement to extend an invitation to President Bola Tinubu to visit South Africa, following President Ramaphosa’s recent visit to Nigeria, as part of efforts to deepen economic ties and the broader relationship between both countries.
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