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Tinubu Travels to South Africa to Strengthen Ties and Discuss Key Issues With Ramaphosa
President Bola Tinubu is set to travel to Cape Town, South Africa, after concluding his visit to France.
This trip marks a significant diplomatic engagement as he prepares to co-chair the 11th session of the Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC) with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Tinubu is currently in France on the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron.
His discussions there have focused on strengthening Nigeria’s relationship with France and fostering partnerships in economic, security, and other key sectors.
According to a statement from his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the Bi-National Commission meeting will officially begin on Tuesday, December 3, 2024.
However, preparations will kick off with a ministerial meeting on December 2 at South Africa’s Parliament Building in Cape Town.
During the BNC, Presidents Tinubu and Ramaphosa will hold extensive talks covering a range of issues critical to both nations.
These discussions will address bilateral matters such as trade, investment, security, and migration, as well as regional and international concerns.
The meeting also offers an opportunity to review commitments made during their earlier discussions on June 20, 2024, when Tinubu visited Johannesburg shortly after Ramaphosa’s inauguration for a second term.
The Bi-National Commission, a platform established to deepen cooperation between the two countries, will focus on eight strategic areas.
These include political consultations, consular and migration issues, banking and finance, defense and security, manufacturing, the social sector, mining and energy, and trade and investment.
President Ramaphosa, a seasoned politician and anti-apartheid activist, has been instrumental in driving South Africa’s foreign policy towards fostering stronger ties across Africa.
Under his leadership, the country has prioritized economic recovery, industrialization, and regional security.
Similarly, President Tinubu has demonstrated a commitment to positioning Nigeria as a leader in Africa by leveraging partnerships to tackle pressing challenges such as insecurity and economic instability.
The ministerial meetings preceding the presidential session will lay the groundwork for these high-level discussions.
They will involve senior officials from various sectors, ensuring that the BNC outcomes are practical and impactful.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has reportedly declared a strike at Taraba State University over outstanding salary-related demands and delays in payments.
The strike is scheduled to begin today, October 12, 2026. According to the union’s chairman, the union had been engaging the Taraba State Government over its outstanding demands since February 2026.
“The union had exercised considerable patience and demonstrated its commitment to dialogue since February 2026, when it began engaging the Taraba State Government over the outstanding issues,” Mbave said.
“The union had earlier suspended its planned industrial action following an appeal by the government for additional time through the Office of the Head of Civil Service, in the interest of maintaining industrial harmony,” the chairman added.
The Chairman of Gboko Local Government Area of Benue State, Torseer Yina, has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the ancient town.
The curfew takes effect from Thursday, October 8, 2026, following unrest and violent protests in the area.
According to reports, the action was taken to contain the unrest and violent protests by members of BEMOA following the death of one of its members by unknown gunmen.
The protest, which was reportedly hijacked by hoodlums, turned violent after an angry mob burnt two vehicles belonging to the Benue State Civil Protection Guards.
The Gboko council chairman said the curfew takes effect immediately and warned that anyone caught flouting the order or breaching public peace would be decisively dealt with.
Nine people have died in a fatal road crash along the Ijebu-Ode-Benin Expressway in Ogun State.
The crash occurred on Monday at about 4:55pm around the Bethel area along the Ijebu-Ode/Ore axis of the expressway. It involved a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus belonging to Delta Line and a white Sino truck operated by Bill Gas Solution Ltd.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), all nine people involved in the crash, comprising three males and six females, died in the incident.
The FRSC said the crash occurred while it was raining and the road was wet, with preliminary investigations identifying speed violation as the probable cause.
The FRSC rescue team arrived at the scene shortly after receiving the report, while the bodies of the victims were taken to the General Hospital Morgue in Ijebu-Ode.
The Ogun State Sector Commander, Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists, especially commercial drivers, to obey speed limits and exercise extra caution when driving in the rain.
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