President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has arrived in Brasília, the capital of Brazil, for a state visit, his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced in a press release on Sunday, August 25, 2025.
According to the statement, President Tinubu flew in from Los Angeles, United States, and 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 Ambassador to Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, also joined the reception alongside other ministers, heads of government agencies, and members of the private sector who will participate in a series of bilateral talks and Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signings during the visit.
Onanuga stated that an official welcoming ceremony, complete with full military honours, is scheduled for Monday at the Planalto Palace. There, President Tinubu and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva will hold a private meeting followed by expanded bilateral discussions involving senior officials from both governments. The leaders are expected to witness the signing of multiple MoUs before addressing a joint press conference.
As part of his itinerary, President Tinubu will also meet with the President of the Brazilian Senate, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, and the President of the Supreme Federal Court. He is further scheduled to attend the Nigeria-Brazil Business Forum, highlighting opportunities for investment and cooperation.
The press release highlighted the longstanding cordial diplomatic relations between Nigeria and Brazil, which date back to the early 1960s. Brazil was the only Latin American country to participate in Nigeria’s independence celebrations in 1960, while Nigeria established its embassy in Brazil in 1966.
Since his inauguration in May 2023, President Tinubu has pursued high-level engagements to strengthen bilateral ties. Most recently, he led Nigeria’s delegation to the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro in July 2025 and attended the G20 Summit in Brazil in November 2024 at the invitation of President Lula.
The two countries also co-chair the Mechanism for Strategic Dialogue, which fosters cooperation in agriculture, trade, defence, energy, education, petroleum, and mining. The most recent session, held in Abuja in June 2025, produced seven MoUs, including agreements on defence cooperation, energy, tourism, livestock development, and counternarcotics.
Brazil is currently a key partner in Nigeria’s food security programme. A $2.5 billion investment by JBS was sealed during the 2024 G20 Summit to strengthen food security and build sustainable supply chains, while the ongoing $1.1 billion Green Imperative Programme (GIP) aims to deliver 10,000 tractors and 50,000 farm equipment units for assembly in Nigeria.
“The President’s state visit reinforces Nigeria’s determination to deepen economic, diplomatic, and cultural ties with Brazil, a strategic partner in Africa-Latin America relations,” Onanuga said.
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