PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has arrived in Brasília, Brazil, to begin a state visit aimed at strengthening diplomatic and economic ties between both nations.
According to presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu touched down at Brasília International Airport at 12:30 a.m. today after departing from Los Angeles in the United States.
He was received at the Brasília Air Base by top Brazilian 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 at the reception.
Onanuga noted that an official welcoming ceremony, complete with military honours, will be held later today at the Planalto Palace, the official workplace of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Both leaders are expected to hold a private meeting followed by broader bilateral talks with senior officials from both governments.
The engagements will culminate in the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and a joint press conference.
Beyond his meeting with Lula, Tinubu’s itinerary includes sessions with the leadership of Brazil’s National Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, and the Supreme Federal Court.
He is also scheduled to take part in the Nigeria-Brazil Business Forum, which will bring together policymakers and private sector leaders to explore opportunities in trade and investment.
The state visit, Onanuga emphasized, represents a key step in expanding Nigeria’s diplomatic footprint in Latin America and deepening cooperation with one of the continent’s largest economies.