President Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrived in Brasília on Monday to begin a state visit to the Federative Republic of Brazil, marking another chapter in Nigeria’s growing engagement with Latin America’s largest economy.
Tinubu, 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 Ambassador Carlos José Areias Moreno Garcete, Brazil’s Ambassador to Nigeria. Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, was also on ground to welcome the president.
Speaking on the significance of the visit, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said: “This trip is about consolidating Nigeria’s strategic partnership with Brazil. President Tinubu is determined to translate our long-standing friendship into concrete results that benefit both nations.”
At the official welcome ceremony, which will be held at the Planalto Palace with full military honours, Tinubu will meet Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for a tête-à-tête, followed by expanded bilateral meetings with senior officials of both governments.
The two leaders are expected to witness the signing of new Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) covering agriculture, defence, energy, tourism, and counternarcotics, among other sectors, before addressing a joint press conference.
President Tinubu will also hold talks with Brazil’s top legislative and judicial leaders, including the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, and the President of the Supreme Federal Court.
As part of his schedule, the Nigerian leader will participate in the Nigeria-Brazil Business Forum, where private sector leaders from both countries are expected to discuss investment opportunities.
Brazil is already a key partner in Nigeria’s food security programme. In 2024, during the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Brazil, Nigeria signed a $2.5 billion investment deal with Brazilian agribusiness giant JBS to develop sustainable supply chains and boost food production. The Green Imperative Programme (GIP), a $1.1 billion mechanisation project initiated in 2019 to supply 10,000 tractors and 50,000 farm equipment units for local assembly, is also advancing with strong Brazilian involvement.
“Brazil has shown consistent commitment to Nigeria’s agricultural transformation agenda. The investments already secured are a clear indication of the benefits of stronger cooperation,” Onanuga noted.
Nigeria and Brazil have enjoyed cordial relations since the early 1960s, with Brazil being the only Latin American country to participate in Nigeria’s independence celebrations in 1960. Nigeria later established its embassy in Brazil on October 18, 1966.
In recent years, both countries have intensified engagements through the Mechanism for Strategic Dialogue, which was first established in 2013. The second session of the dialogue was held in Abuja in June 2025, leading to the signing of seven MoUs, including agreements on defence cooperation, energy, livestock development, and audiovisual co-production.
Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin and his wife, Maria Lúcia Alckmin, had earlier visited Abuja for the June 2025 session, while senior Nigerian and Brazilian diplomats have exchanged visits over the past year.
With Tinubu’s latest visit, observers say Nigeria is reaffirming its intent to diversify diplomatic and economic partnerships beyond traditional Western allies.
