By Ogochukwu Isioma
President Bola Tinubu arrived on Monday in Brasília, Brazil, to commence a state visit.
Tinubu, who flew in from Los Angeles, United States, was received by senior Brazilian government officials at the Brasília Air Base.
The officials included Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, Secretary for Africa and the Middle East and Ambassador Carlos José Areias Moreno Garcete, Ambassador of Brazil to Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, was also at the Air Base reception.
Other ministers, heads of key government agencies, and private sector members, who will participate in a string of bilateral talks and MOU signings, later welcomed President Tinubu to his hotel.
The official welcoming ceremony, with full military honours, will take place on Monday at the Planalto Palace.
At the Planalto, President Tinubu and the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, will hold a tête-à-tête, followed by expanded bilateral meetings attended by senior officials of both governments.
The leaders will witness the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and address a joint press conference afterwards.
During the state visit, President Tinubu will 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 will also participate in the Nigeria-Brazil Business Forum as part of a packed programme in Brasília on Monday.
Nigeria and Brazil share longstanding cordial diplomatic relations from the early 1960s.
Nigeria formally established its Embassy in Brazil on October 18, 1966, while Brazil was the only Latin American country to participate in Nigeria’s independence celebrations on October 1, 1960.
Since President Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29, 2023, high-level engagements have strengthened ties between the two countries.
Most recently, President Tinubu led Nigeria’s delegation to the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro in July 2025 and, on President Lula’s invitation, attended the G20 Summit in Brazil in November 2024.
Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and his wife, Maria Lúcia Alckmin, visited Abuja for the Second Session of the Mechanism for Strategic Dialogue from June 25–26, 2025.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, participated in the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro from April 28–29, 2025, while the Brazilian Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, paid an official visit to Abuja on March 12, 2025.
Nigeria and Brazil signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2013 to establish the Mechanism for Strategic Dialogue to foster cooperation in agriculture, trade, defence, energy, education, power, petroleum, and mining.
The Dialogue is co-chaired by the Vice Presidents of both countries and alternates annually.
The Second Session of the Mechanism for Strategic Dialogue occurred in Abuja from June 23–25, 2025. This resulted in the signing of seven MoUs, including agreements on the Strategic Dialogue Mechanism Cooperation Renewal, Defence Cooperation, Energy, Tourism, Audio-Visual Co-Production, Livestock Development, and Counternarcotics.
Brazil is a key partner in Nigeria’s food security programme. The $2.5 billion JBS investment to strengthen food security and develop sustainable supply chains was signed in Brazil during President Tinubu’s participation at the 2024 G20 Leaders’ Summit.
According to presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, the project aims to boost local production and create job opportunities for Nigerian youth.
The Green Imperative Programme (GIP), a $1.1 billion agricultural mechanisation project launched in 2019, is also on course. It aims to supply 10,000 tractors and 50,000 units of farm equipment for assembly in Nigeria.
