President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, ahead of the 17th Summit of BRICS countries.

The president’s aircraft touched down at the Galeão Air Force Base at 8:45 p.m. on Friday, where he was received by the commander of the base, Brazil’s deputy minister for Africa and the Middle East, Ambassador Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte, and the deputy minister for trade promotion, science, technology, innovation, and culture.

President Tinubu is attending the summit at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil, on the strength of Nigeria’s status as a ‘partner country’- a membership category short of full status.

The Partner status is an upgrade from its previous guest status, which the country had enjoyed over the years.

Nigeria was formally admitted as the ninth BRICS partner country in January 2025, a status introduced at the 16th BRICS Summit in October 2024.

As a partner country, Nigeria can participate in BRICS meetings, summits, and initiatives, contributing to discussions and official documents.