On Monday, President Bola Tinubu will leave France for Cape Town, South Africa, where he will join President Cyril Ramaphosa as co-chair of the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission.

On December 2, 2024, a cabinet meeting will take place at the South African Parliament Building in Cape Town, which will be followed by the presidential Bi-National Commission on Tuesday, December 3.

Tinubu and Ramaphosa will have in-depth talks on bilateral, regional, and global issues of mutual concern, according to a statement issued on Sunday by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga.

“The two leaders will assess the progress since the 10th session of the BNC, which was held in Abuja from November 29 to December 1, 2021, building on the commitments made during their meeting on June 20, 2024, in Johannesburg, soon after President Ramaphosa was sworn in for a second term in office.

Eight working groups will engage in discussions during the BNC’s eleventh session, each of which will concentrate on a particular topic of shared interest. Political consultations, immigration and consular services, banking and finance, defense and security, manufacturing, the social sector, mining and energy, trade, and investments are a few of them.

Officials from both nations will sign a number of agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) during the high-level meeting, Onanuga stated.

Founded in 1999, the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission seeks to deepen the two countries’ friendship and collaboration. The inaugural Heads of State session took place in Pretoria in October 2019.

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The BNC offers a forum for maintaining high-level discussions and encouraging cooperation in vital fields like trade, economic development, security, and diplomacy.

The fact that this year’s meeting falls on the Commission’s 25th anniversary makes it especially noteworthy and demonstrates the long-standing friendship and collaboration between South Africa and Nigeria. A high-level group that includes ministers, state governors, and other high-ranking government officials will go with President Tinubu. Following the BNC meeting, he will return to the nation, Onanuga continued.

Nigeria’s diplomatic efforts and international accords would take time to produce benefits; therefore, Nigerians should be patient, said Yusuf Tuggar, the country’s minister of foreign affairs, on Saturday.

When he informed reporters about the results of President Bola Tinubu’s most recent state visit to France, Tuggar made this call.

Citing the slow process of diplomacy, he cautioned against expecting immediate results despite calling the trip a “resounding success.”

“Diplomacy and international relations should not be viewed as a commercial transaction,” he stated. It requires time.

“A framework must be established first, followed by agreements and business collaboration.”

The Federal Government’s responsibility in establishing an ecosystem that allows Nigerian companies to take advantage of the potential presented by these bilateral agreements was also emphasized by the minister.

He mentioned current changes aimed at luring in foreign capital, claiming they demonstrate the administration’s dedication to free enterprise.

Tuggar listed a number of noteworthy accomplishments from the trip, such as multiple Memoranda of Understanding inked in France and a $2.4 billion agriculture investment obtained during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brazil.

He pointed out that President Tinubu gave food security a priority in his discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron, to which Macron gave a positive response.

The president emphasized how crucial food security is to his government. “The response from Macron has been positive,” Tuggar said.

Nigeria’s vast reserves of important minerals, such as lithium, were also discussed; Tuggar called this a “revelation” to the French delegation. This led President Macron to request that Nigeria’s Ministry of Justice evaluate a new Memorandum of Understanding on essential minerals.

Other important areas, such as infrastructure and sustainable energy, were also discussed. Tuggar emphasized President Tinubu’s desire to work with France to create solar power and safe, non-military nuclear energy.

He noted that France’s strategy toward West Africa has changed in terms of security, with President Macron admitting his faults and looking to Nigeria for advice on counterterrorism measures.

He claimed that the French had admitted their previous errors and understood the importance of Nigeria’s participation in any endeavor to secure West Africa.

On the home front, Tuggar emphasized the significance of continuous changes to foster an atmosphere that attracts investment. According to him, states can now set up transmission, distribution, and power producing networks thanks to the new Electricity Act.

Tuggar clarified misunderstandings over the proposed Tax Reform Bill by stating that it will simplify corporate operations by combining taxes rather than raising them.

He clarified, “President Tinubu wants to lower the tax burden, making it easier and more appealing for businesses.”

In light of the overall results, Tuggar reaffirmed the importance of exercising patience when assessing the advantages of diplomacy.

“The enabling environment is provided by the government, but these results are not instantaneous transactions—they take time,” he stated.

The Foreign Minister also conveyed his belief that Nigeria would reap substantial long-term advantages from the groundwork established during President Tinubu’s most recent diplomatic visits.

Presidents Tinubu and Macron signed two agreements while in France to guarantee a collaboration on the long-term sustainability of agriculture and food security as well as the development of vital infrastructure.

The United Bank for Africa Group Chairman Tony Elumelu and Mr. Antoine Armand, the French Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industry, signed an agreement allowing the bank to start operations in Paris, which was witnessed by both presidents.

During President Tinubu’s state visit, the collaboration agreements were signed during an economic forum at the Palais des Élysées in Paris, France, which was attended by businesses, captains of industry, governors, and senior government officials from both nations.

Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), a former head of state, has voiced concern about the ongoing issues plaguing different regions of the nation, stating that Nigeria cannot afford another civil war.

Between 1967 and 1970, the Nigerian Civil War was said to have killed millions of people.

The former general voiced concern about the current condition of insecurity while speaking at the Plateau Unity Christmas Carols and Praise Festival in Jos, Plateau. He prayed that Nigeria would not see another civil unrest.

“The different challenges that Nigeria is experiencing are really upsetting. God knows that after the Civil War, we shouldn’t be experiencing this.

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I prayed to God and expressed my wish that Nigeria would not experience another crisis like the one we did.

Let’s ask God to grant us the hope that all of these crises are coming to an end. “Pray to God so that He can reach the hearts of everyone who is inclined to cause trouble,” he urged.