President Jacob Zuma of South Africa has arrived in Nigeria and is presently meeting with President Muhammdu Buhari. He arrived on Monday night through the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja and was received by a delegation led by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
He arrived aboard a South Africa Air Force plane, which touched down at about eleven o’clock in the night at the Presidential Wing of the airport. President Zuma is in Nigeria for a two-day state visit, which observers see as an attempt to mend fences between the continent’s largest economic powers. He is expected to address a joint session of Nigeria’s National Assembly on Tuesday.
President Zuma and his host, President Muhammadu Buhari, will also address the South Africa Business Forum. The South African President arrived with six ministers and a huge business delegation.
In the delegation are the Minister of Trades and Industry, Rob Davies, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Maite Nkoana-Mashabane, Minister for Energy, Tina Joemat-Peterson, Minister of Home Affairs, Malusi Gigaba, Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane.
Talks are expected to centre on both countries’ bilateral relations and probably the fine on MTN communications by Nigeria as well as Nigeria’s arms money seizures by South Africa.
The Acting Nigerian High Commissioner to South Africa, Martins Cobham, said areas that were perceived to have created some concerns would likely be addressed.
Nigeria is South Africa’s seventh largest trading partner, with crude oil as its major export to South Africa while South Africa has investments in Nigeria in diverse sectors.
South Africa-Nigeria bi-national Commission was established in 1999 and both countries have 34 standing bilateral agreements & Memorandum of Understanding.
A Research Fellow with the University of Johannesburg, Dr. Rita Ozoemena, expects both leaders to discuss the free movement of persons between both countries and also consider their security and economic potential.
Another Research Fellow with Helen Suzeman Foundation, Aubrey Matshiqi, stressed the need for the two countries to find a healthy balance between strategic competition and strategic cooperation.
A Nigerian in South Africa hopes the Nigerian President will discuss issues of police brutality.
