Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu held talks with South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa in New York, with the aim of boosting economic cooperation between Africa’s two largest economies. The meeting was held ahead of the United Nations General Assembly, which is scheduled to begin this week. In a joint statement, both leaders expressed their desire to cooperate in a way that benefits their populations. Tinubu highlighted the potential of cooperation in the mining and telecommunications sectors to create employment opportunities. Tinubu is spearheading significant reforms in Nigeria, such as the removal of expensive petrol subsidies and the removal of restrictions on foreign exchange trading. Amid Nigeria’s dire economic situation characterized by record debt, slow growth and high inflation, Tinubu is committed to revitalizing the economy. President Ramaphosa praised Tinubu’s bold economic reforms and promised to explore a closer partnership with Nigeria. He emphasized the importance of deepening economic ties, especially in light of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement. Both leaders expressed enthusiasm for working together on various issues, as their cooperation has had a global impact in the past. Tinubu also called on South Africa to support Nigeria in its call for reforms of global financial institutions to address the growing poverty and economic challenges on the continent. Tinubu’s agenda at the UN General Assembly includes meetings with US President Joe Biden and executives from Microsoft, Meta and Exxon Mobil as he aims to attract global capital for infrastructure development.