President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visit to Brasília, Brazil, is aimed at deepening diplomatic and economic ties between Nigeria and Brazil, two of the largest economies in the Global South.

The Nigerian leader, who flew in from Los Angeles, United States, 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 Ojukwu, was also present to welcome the President.

 

Later, President Tinubu was greeted at his hotel by ministers, heads of key government agencies, and private sector leaders who are scheduled to participate in a packed schedule of bilateral meetings and MoU signings.

 

According to a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, an official welcoming ceremony with full military honours will take place at the Planalto Palace, the official workplace of the Brazilian president.

 

There, President Tinubu will be received by his host, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, for a private tête-à-tête, followed by expanded bilateral talks involving high-ranking officials from both governments.

Both leaders will witness the signing of key Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) across sectors such as energy, defence, agriculture, and education. They are also scheduled to address a joint press conference to brief the media on the outcomes of their engagements.

 

As part of the visit, President Tinubu will attend the Nigeria–Brazil Business Forum, bringing together top business leaders from both countries to explore investment opportunities and strengthen trade partnerships.

 

Onanuga highlighted the deep historical ties between Nigeria and Brazil, which date back to Nigeria’s independence in 1960 — a celebration Brazil uniquely attended as the only Latin American nation. Diplomatic relations were formally cemented with the opening of Nigeria’s embassy in Brazil in October 1966.

The visit builds on a series of recent high-level exchanges between both nations. In June 2025, Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and his wife visited Abuja for the Second Session of the Mechanism for Strategic Dialogue, a platform launched in 2013 to foster cooperation in sectors such as petroleum, mining, power, education, and defence.

 

The summit led to the signing of seven MoUs, including new agreements on defence cooperation, counter-narcotics, livestock development, and audio-visual co-production.

 

Additionally, Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, attended the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Summit in Brazil in April 2025, while his Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, paid an official visit to Abuja in March.

Brazil remains a key partner in Nigeria’s food security drive. During the 2024 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brazil, a landmark $2.5 billion investment by Brazilian agribusiness giant JBS was announced. The deal supports sustainable agricultural supply chains and aims to create employment opportunities in Nigeria’s rural economy.

 

Also central to the partnership is the Green Imperative Programme (GIP), a $1.1 billion agricultural mechanisation initiative launched in 2019. The programme will see the deployment of 10,000 tractors and 50,000 units of farm equipment, many of which will be assembled locally in Nigeria.

 

President Tinubu’s ongoing state visit is expected to solidify Nigeria-Brazil cooperation in multiple areas and enhance Nigeria’s strategic positioning in the global economic and diplomatic landscape