President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Brasília on Monday to begin a state visit aimed at deepening bilateral relations between Nigeria and Brazil.
The President, who flew in from Los Angeles, United States, was received at the Brasília Air Base by senior Brazilian officials, including Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, Secretary for Africa and the Middle East, and Brazil’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos José Areias Moreno Garcete. Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, was also part of the welcoming delegation.
Upon arrival at his hotel, President Tinubu was received by Nigerian ministers, heads of government agencies, and private sector representatives who will participate in a series of bilateral engagements and the signing of cooperation agreements.
The official welcoming ceremony, with full military honours, will be held at the Planalto Palace later today, where President Tinubu will meet with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Both leaders will hold a private meeting, followed by expanded bilateral discussions and the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) across multiple sectors. A joint press conference is scheduled afterward.
During his stay, Tinubu is expected to meet the President of the Brazilian Senate, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, and the President of the Supreme Federal Court. He will also address the Nigeria-Brazil Business Forum, underscoring the importance of economic and trade relations.
Nigeria and Brazil have enjoyed strong diplomatic ties since the early 1960s, with Brazil being the only Latin American country to participate in Nigeria’s independence celebrations in 1960. Relations have recently been boosted by high-level engagements, including Tinubu’s participation at the 2024 G20 Summit in Brazil and the July 2025 BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil remains a strategic partner in Nigeria’s food security drive, with landmark projects such as the $2.5 billion JBS investment signed at the G20 Summit and the ongoing $1.1 billion Green Imperative Programme, which will deliver 10,000 tractors and 50,000 units of farm equipment for local assembly in Nigeria.
The visit is expected to yield further cooperation in agriculture, trade, defence, energy, and other sectors under the Nigeria-Brazil Mechanism for Strategic Dialogue, which has been active since 2013.
