South Africa and Nigeria have opened talks on symbiotic collaborations in oil and gas exploration and mining.
The countries are bringing on the table their respective areas of expertise in mining, oil and gas superstructure.
At the ongoing 9th Session of Nigeria-South Africa Bi-National Commission (BNC), in Pretoria, South Africa, Nigeria’s minister of mines and steel development, Arc. Olamilekan Adegbite, said the meeting was timely and mutually beneficial as it provided the opportunity for the two countries to discuss cooperation on different sectors, particularly oil and gas, and the mines and steel sector.
He said Nigeria will collaborate with South Africa to develop its newly found oil exploration while South Africa will assist Nigeria in the solid mineral and mining sector, of which they have comparative advantage in expertise, Adegbite said at the ministerial session of the meeting.
“South Africa just discovered crude oil and they need our experience in terms of petroleum exploration especially offshore while they are very advanced in mining and we are learning from them to avoid pitfalls that they had.
“We need to understand the steps they are taking especially in terms of environmental degradation, how mining can be properly done without salvaging the environment, it is really a symbiotic relationship,” he said.
The ministerial session, which was co-chaired by the South African minister of international relations and cooperation, Dr Naledi Pandor and the Nigerian minister of foreign affairs, Godfrey Onyeama, received, analyzed and adopted the submission of the outcome of the meeting of senior officials from both countries.
The governments of Nigeria and South Africa started the Bi-National Commission in October 1999 under the agreement of both countries as a mechanism for a sustaining bi-lateral High-level dialogue to promote and increase cooperation in diplomatic, economic, security and other areas of mutual interest.
Chibisi Ohakah
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