Politics
Buhari to hold talks with Zuma over MTN, others
President Jacob Zuma of South Africa and President Muhammadu Buhari are billed to hold talks on March 8, when the former arrives on a two-day state visit to Nigeria.
The South African authorities made the announcement yesterday against the background of challenges facing one of South Africa’s biggest exports, MTN.
The South African Presidency stated that President Zuma was travelling to Nigeria at “the invitation of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
“During the State Visit, President Zuma is expected to address the Joint Session of the National Assembly of Nigeria, and will, together with President Buhari, address the South Africa-Nigeria Business Forum,” the Presidency said.
While the South African government is silent on the true essence of the state visit, policy watchers believe that central to Zuma’s coming is the issue of N780bn penalty imposed on MTN by the Nigerian government for infringing Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) guidelines on de-registration of some customers.
Read also: Biafra agitators are jokers, Buhari says
South Africa and Nigeria have good bilateral political, economic and social relations, underpinned by strong historical ties dating back from the years of the liberation struggle.
“The two countries conduct their bilateral relations through a structured Bi-National Commission (BNC) established in 1999. There are more than 120 South African companies doing business in Nigeria in various sectors, including telecommunications, aviation, tourism, banking, property, retail, entertainment and fast food. Nigeria is South Africa’s key trading partner on the continent, providing significant opportunities for its exports and investments. Nigeria is ranked seventh in terms of South Africa’s total trade in Africa,” a statement released earlier this week reads.
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