By Khadijah Shehu Abdulkareem
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived in Brasília, Brazil, on a two-day state visit aimed at strengthening cooperation and formalizing new agreements between Nigeria and Brazil.
The Presidential Jet, Nigerian Air Force One (NAF-001), with the call sign “Eagle One,” touched down at Brasília Air Base International Airport at about 12:30 a.m. on Monday. The President, who flew in from Los Angeles, United States, was received 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 Ojukwu, was also on ground to welcome the President, alongside other ministers, heads of key government agencies, and private sector stakeholders who will participate in a series of bilateral engagements.
Later today, President Tinubu will be accorded an official welcoming ceremony with full military honours at the Planalto Palace, seat of the Brazilian presidency. He will then hold a closed-door meeting with his host, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, followed by expanded bilateral discussions between senior officials of both governments. The two leaders are expected to witness the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) before addressing a joint press conference.
During his stay, the Nigerian leader will also meet with the President of the Brazilian Senate at the National Congress, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, and the President of the Supreme Federal Court. He is further scheduled to participate in the Nigeria-Brazil Business Forum, where business leaders from both countries will explore investment and trade opportunities.
This marks President Tinubu’s third visit to Brazil in the past 12 months. His Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, described the trip as a “strategic step aimed at deepening cooperation with Latin America’s largest economy and a key member of BRICS.”