President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed Brasília, Brazil, for Abuja after a state visit aimed at deepening relations between Nigeria and Brazil.
The presidential jet took off from Brasília International Airport Air Force Base at 12:57 pm local time, with senior Brazilian and Nigerian officials present to bid farewell. Among them were Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, Secretary for Africa and the Middle East, Ambassador Carlos José Areias Moreno Garcete, Brazil’s envoy to Nigeria, and Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu. A guard of honour led by Colonel Cel Nicolas also featured in the brief departure ceremony.
Tinubu, who arrived in Brasília on Monday, August 25, was accorded full military honours at the Palácio do Planalto, where he held high-level talks with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The visit produced the signing of five Memoranda of Understanding in critical sectors including aviation, foreign affairs, science and technology, and agriculture, seen as vital to Nigeria’s development agenda.
The state visit, marked by red-carpet receptions and strategic diplomatic engagements, further consolidates Nigeria’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with Brazil in key areas of mutual interest.