President Bola Tinubu arrived in Brasília, Brazil, on Monday to begin a state visit aimed at strengthening Nigeria-Brazil relations across key sectors, including trade, agriculture, defence, and energy.

The President, who flew in from Los Angeles, United States, 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 envoy to Nigeria. Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, was also on hand to welcome him.

Other Nigerian ministers, heads of agencies, and private sector leaders who will take part in bilateral talks and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signings later joined the President at his hotel.

An official welcoming ceremony with full military honours will take place at the Planalto Palace, where Tinubu will meet Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva for a private discussion before expanded talks with senior officials. Both leaders are expected to witness the signing of new MoUs and address a joint press conference.

As part of his engagements, President Tinubu will also hold meetings with the President of the Brazilian Senate, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, and the President of the Supreme Federal Court. He will further attend the Nigeria-Brazil Business Forum in Brasília.

Nigeria and Brazil share a long history of cordial relations dating back to the early 1960s. Brazil was the only Latin American country to attend Nigeria’s independence celebrations in 1960, and Nigeria established its embassy in Brasília in 1966.

High-level engagements between the two countries have intensified since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023. In July 2025, he attended the BRICS Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, following his participation in the G20 Summit hosted by Brazil in 2024.

In June 2025, Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin visited Abuja for the Second Session of the Mechanism for Strategic Dialogue, co-chaired by both nations’ vice presidents. The session resulted in the signing of seven MoUs covering defence, energy, tourism, livestock development, audio-visual co-production, counternarcotics, and renewal of the strategic dialogue mechanism.

Brazil remains a vital partner in Nigeria’s food security programme. In 2024, a $2.5 billion investment deal with Brazilian agribusiness giant JBS was signed to boost Nigeria’s local production and create jobs. Additionally, the Green Imperative Programme (GIP), a $1.1 billion agricultural mechanisation initiative launched in 2019, is advancing, with plans to deliver 10,000 tractors and 50,000 farm equipment units for local assembly.

President Tinubu’s visit is expected to further cement Nigeria-Brazil cooperation in advancing mutual prosperity and sustainable development.