The President, Muhammadu Buhari, has described the State
Visit by President Cyril Ramaphosa of South Africa as successful despite the
scare generated by the new COVID-19 variant named Omicron.
Buhari received Ramaphosa at the Presidential Villa in Abuja
on Wednesday after which they held a press conference.
Speaking at the conference, Buhari said new Memoranda of
Understanding between Nigeria and South Africa in diverse areas were signed
while existing ones were reviewed for the progress and prosperity of citizens
of both countries.
Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity,
Femi Adesina disclosed this in a statement.
He quoted Buhari as saying, ”We have now come to the end of
a very successful State Visit and the 10th Session of the Nigeria-South Africa
Bi-National Commission.
”Despite the scare generated by the new COVID-19 variant, we
have been able to hold successful meetings, while observing strict COVID-19
protocols, through fraternal cooperation and understanding.
”I sincerely wish to thank my brother and colleague,
President Cyril Ramaphosa for honouring my invitation. I equally wish to thank
members of the South African delegation and the experts that worked tirelessly
during the Senior Officials Meeting.
”Today, has witnessed the signing of new Memoranda of
Understanding between Nigeria and South Africa in diverse areas including Youth
Development, Women and Child Empowerment and Political Consultations; critical
areas that will lead to increased people to people contact.
”Also, existing MOUs signed during previous Bi-National
Commission meetings were also reviewed. These include MOUs on Military
Cooperation, Power, Cooperation in the field of Geology, Mining, and Mineral
Processing, Oil and Gas and several others.
”Today, we also jointly launched the Nigeria-South Africa
Youth Dialogue, another veritable tool for interaction among our youth with the
aim of creating shared values and aspirations. Many of our youth, from Nigeria
and South Africa, joined us virtually during the launch.”
Buhari thanked Ramaphosa for initiating the Youth Dialogue,
noting that continuous interaction between the youth of the two countries will
further break down barriers and suspicion among our people.
He added that the inauguration of the Joint Ministerial
Advisory Council on Industry, Trade and Investment, would enable the private
sectors of the two largest economies in Africa to further promote economic
cooperation and development.
”We appreciate that we need to do much more to achieve
further integration of our two economies and take full advantage of the African
Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).
”Once again, I wish to thank my brother President and
members of the South African delegation for their visit and their wonderful
friendship, cooperation and solidarity, ” he said.
On his part, Ramaphosa thanked the leaders of Nigeria, Cote
D’Ivoire, Ghana and Senegal for expressing their dissatisfaction with the
travel ban imposed on South Africa and sister neighbouring countries in the
aftermath of the discovery of the Omicron COVID-19 variant by South African scientists.
He described the imposition of the ban by some western
countries as arbitrary, discriminatory, unscientific and unproductive in the
long run.
”This is a global pandemic and overcoming it requires that
we collaborate and work together as a collective.
”The resulting damage to this travel ban to the economies of
the countries affected will be considerable and long-lasting.
”So I want to use this opportunity to tell the countries
that have imposed this ban to reverse their decisions whether they are the
northern more developed economies or in other parts of our continent or
elsewhere,” he said.
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