Pretoria – President Cyril Ramaphosa landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja last night to attend the inauguration of President-Elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The 71-year-old Tinubu will be inaugurated president of Nigeria today, taking the reins over Africa’s most populous country bedevilled by economic challenges, widespread insecurity and high inflation.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya said South Africa and Nigeria maintain a strategic partnership in pursuit of strengthened bilateral co-operation and towards the fostering of peace, stability, and economic development on the African continent.
“While in Abuja, President Ramaphosa will attend the inauguration gala dinner hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari, outgoing president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in honour of heads of State and government attending the inauguration,” Magwenya said.
Ramaphosa is also expected to attend the luncheon hosted by Tinubu, after his inauguration.
“The two countries share a common vision on issues of political and economic integration in Africa, the need for sustainable conflict resolution and the need for the reform of multilateral institutions, especially the United Nations Security Council (UNSC),” Magwenya said.
He said South Africa and Nigeria are engaged in growing economic co-operation, as evidenced by increasing trade and mutual investments.
“South Africa and Nigeria account for approximately a third of Africa’s economic output, with each accounting for 60% – 70% of the economies in their sub-regions,” Magwenya said.
On March 1, electoral officials in Nigeria declared Tinubu the winner of Nigeria’s disputed presidential election, thrusting the former Lagos governor into his life-long ambition of leading Africa’s largest democracy.
IOL