Improved Nigeria-South Africa relations will quicken African Development – Buhari

The Nigerian leader made this known when he met with the Chairman of the African National Congress (ANC) and South Africa’s Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Gwede Mantashe.

Mantashe was in the State House, Abuja on Friday as Special Envoy of his country.

Buhari cited his last trip to South Africa during which he and President Cyril Ramaphosa worked together in resolving the migrants’ crisis between two brotherly nations.

“There was this ‘small problem’ between our countries. I went there and we resolved it,” Buhari told the envoy.

He directed the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva to work with his South African counterpart on the requests he brought and report back to him for his action.

The South African minister, who presented a letter from President Ramaphosa, said the relationship between Nigeria and his country was key to the developmental aspirations of the continent.

While emphasising that the two nations needed to work as partners, Mantashe said “this relationship will determine the future of Africa.”(NAN)