Pretoria - Deputy President, Kgalema Motlanthe, will host the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mohammed Namadi Sambo, on the occasion of the 8th Session of the Bi-National Commission (BNC) between South Africa and Nigeria.
The BNC is scheduled to take place in Cape Town from 21 to 23 May 2012.
Motlanthe will host his Nigerian counterpart within the context of consolidating the African Agenda through the enhancing and deepening of the social, economic and social relations between South Africa and Nigeria said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO).
The visit is aimed at strengthening the already existing cordial relations between South Africa and of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which date back to the liberation struggle period, it added.
"Deputy President Motlanthe and Vice President Sambo will review the work and progress on the bilateral cooperation between South Africa and Nigeria since the 7th session of the South Africa-Nigeria Bi-National Commission (BNC).
"It is expected that a Memorandum of Understanding on Economic and Technical Cooperation and the Implementation Plan on the existing bilateral agreements and matters arising from the BNC will be signed during the visit," said the department.
Motlanthe and Sambo will also use the occasion to exchange views in respect of developments at regional level, both with regard to the Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC), as well as discuss broad issues affecting the continent within the context of the African Union (AU).
They will also discuss enhanced cooperation on multilateral issues such as reform of global institutions of governance such as the UN Security Council and the Bretton Woods Institutions.
Sambo will be accompanied by several ministers, while Motlanthe will be supported by the Ministers of International Relations and Cooperation, Trade and Industry, Communications, Energy, Finance, Home Affairs, Justice and Constitutional Development, Transport and State Security.
Nigeria represents a significant export market for South African goods in West Africa. The trade surplus in favour of Nigeria can be attributed to a high demand for energy resources in South Africa as 98 percent of the country's imports from Nigeria are composed of crude oil.
Since 1999, there has been an increase in the number of South African multinationals operating in the Nigeria market, with over 100 South African companies currently doing business in Nigeria.
