President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, yesterday, arrived in Brasília, the capital of Brazil, with a call for renewed diplomatic and economic cooperation between Nigeria and the South American country.
In a post via his official X handle, Tinubu described his meeting with the Brazilian leader, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, as a renewal of the “historic relationship” between both nations.
He expressed Nigeria’s readiness to deepen cooperation in agriculture, energy, trade, and culture with Brazil.
“Today’s engagement marks the renewal of the historic relationship between Nigeria and Brazil.
“I look forward to working with President Lula to build a future of shared prosperity across the Atlantic,” Tinubu said.
Tinubu, who flew in from Los Angeles, United States (U.S.), was received at the Brasília Air Base by senior Brazilian government officials, including Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, Secretary for Africa and the Middle East, and Ambassador Carlos José Areias Moreno Garcete, Brazil’s envoy to Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, also joined in receiving the President.
Other ministers, heads of key government agencies, and private sector leaders later welcomed Tinubu to his hotel.
Meanwhile, Tinubu was accorded a red-carpet welcome and full military honour by his Brazilian counterpart at the Planalto Palace in Brasília, the seat of the Brazilian presidency.
The official arrival ceremony began with Tinubu’s motorcade pulling into the forecourt of the historic palace, where he was received personally by President Lula da Silva. Both leaders stood at attention as the Brazilian military rolled out a guard of honour in Tinubu’s name.
The ceremony featured a 21-gun salute, a display by the Brazilian presidential guard, and the playing of the National Anthems of Nigeria and Brazil, symbolising the strong diplomatic ties between the two countries.
Tinubu, dressed in his trademark agbada, inspected the guard of honour before proceeding to exchange pleasantries with top Brazilian government officials present.
However, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, said that with Tinubu’s latest state visit, both nations are set to consolidate their partnership in trade, agriculture, energy, and institutional cooperation, opening a new chapter in Nigeria-Brazil relations.
Both leaders are expected to hold closed-door talks at the palace, followed by a joint press conference and the signing of several bilateral agreements.
Meanwhile, Tinubu, alongside Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with the Federative Republic of Brazil.
A statement, signed by Special Assistant to the minister, Tunde Moshood, said the signing of the agreement marked a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties between the two largest economies in their respective continents.
He said that the major highlight was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Keyamo and Brazil’s Minister of Transport, Silvio Costa Filho, in the presence of both Heads of State, to formalise the BASA agreement between Nigeria and Brazil.
