The Acting South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe has praised the brotherly posture of Nigeria towards South Africa citing Nigeria’s support to South Africa, during its recent election into the UN Security Council.
Mr. Moroe made this disclosure while speaking to newsmen on the visit of the South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, to Nigeria last night, July 10, 2018.
Moroe indicated that the South African President was on a working visit to Nigeria, to refresh the relations between Nigeria and South Africa and to explore new avenues within which the two countries can cooperate.
He said, the President, who is on his first visit to Nigeria since his election, “…will also have an opportunity to express gratitude to President Buhari for Nigeria’s support when South Africa was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council on the 6th of June, this year.”
“At a continental level, we share similar values and aspiration towards the achievement of AU Agenda 2063, on the strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years. We are talking about two economic giants of the continent. So, without their shared common vision and values, industrialization in the continent, amongst others, will remain an illusion.”
He underscored the strong relationship between Nigeria and South Africa highlighting that Nigeria and South Africa are in sync in the current demand for the reform of institutions of global governance, particularly, the reform of the United Nations Security Council.
He stated that Cyril Ramaphosa is in Nigeria on the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari. He expressed optimism that the visit would also afford an opportunity for Nigeria and South Africa to look at a mutually acceptable date within which their Bi-national Commission as well as state visit of President Buhari to South Africa could take place.
Most importantly, Monroe added, the two leaders will have opportunity during the visit to reflect on their shared common visions on very two critical issues – their role at continental level and their role at global level.
Also speaking on the visit, the Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Amb. Ahmed Musa Ibeto, noted that South Africa and Nigeria are like twins citing their position as the pillars of Africa.
According to Ibeto, “If we strengthen our relationship both economically, socially, culturally, we are going to uplift the African continent. We do not even have to look towards some other continents, either America, Asia or Europe. We have advantages which we can bring together to promote the African continent. So, this visit is a welcome development. This is what we’ve been looking for, for a very long time.”
President Ramaphosa’s flight touched down at the Presidential Wing of the Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at about 23.12 hours local time. He was received by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama, and was conferred with an Honorary Citizenship of Abuja, by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello.
Cosmas Uzodinma
Chief Press Secretary, FCT Minister.
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