Nigeria and South Africa have agreed to resolve long-standing visa restrictions affecting citizens of both countries, with plans underway to introduce simplified visa processes for business travellers.
The agreement emerged during a high-level political consultation held in Abuja on Tuesday, attended by senior officials from both nations, The Guardian (Nigeria) reports.
According to the report, the Nigerian delegation was led by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, while Ms. Thandi Moraka of South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation headed her country’s team.
In a joint communiqué issued after the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in trade and investment, defence, energy, and people-to-people relations. It stated that the two countries are working to “adopt simplified visa processes for businesspeople to remedy persisting visa-related challenges.”
The ministers also welcomed the finalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Early Warning Mechanism, describing it as a key instrument for addressing consular and migration issues. They noted that effective implementation of the MoU would improve coordination, streamline travel procedures, and boost collaboration in social, cultural, scientific, and tourism sectors.
Both countries acknowledged the strength of their cultural ties, highlighting ongoing cooperation in the film and creative industries. The Audio-Visual Cooperation Agreement, signed in 2021, continues to promote co-productions, skills transfer, and joint investment in film and media projects across both nations.
On transportation, the communiqué noted the signing of an MoU between the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) of South Africa and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) on January 17, 2025, in Johannesburg. The agreement is expected to enhance safety and collaboration in air navigation services.
The two delegations also discussed the pending MoU on Standards and Standardisation between the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS), which could not be signed during last year’s Bi-National Commission (BNC) meeting in Cape Town. It was agreed that the signing would now take place in March 2025.
