By Ajibola Olaide, JKNewsMedia Reporter
DIRECT AIR travel between Lagos and São Paulo is set to commence following the approval of a new flight route to be operated by Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace.
The development formed part of agreements reached during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Brazil, where he held discussions with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Palácio do Planalto in Brasília.
At a joint conference, President Lula confirmed the arrangement, describing it as a vital step in strengthening bilateral ties.
He said, “Increasing the direct connections between Nigeria and Brazil is another essential step to strengthen the ties between our societies.
We have approved the launch of a direct flight, to be operated by Nigeria’s largest airline company, Air Peace, between Lagos and São Paulo.”
The agreement followed an expanded bilateral meeting that lasted two hours, after which both leaders witnessed the signing of several memoranda of understanding and cooperation agreements across key sectors.
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Brazil’s Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filhos, signed a Bilateral Air Services Agreement designed to boost trade links and deepen people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
In the area of diplomacy, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, and Brazil’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Mauro Vieira, signed an agreement on Diplomatic Training Cooperation.
Both ministers also formalised a memorandum of understanding on political consultations to enhance collaboration on bilateral, regional, and international matters of common interest.
Science and technology featured prominently in the discussions, with Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, and Brazil’s Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Luciana Santos, signing an MoU covering cooperation in biotechnology, bioeconomy, ocean science, innovation ecosystems, energy, space development, digital transformation, and raw materials research.
Agricultural cooperation was also reinforced through an MoU between the Managing Director of Nigeria’s Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, and Brazil’s Minister for the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Aluísio Mercadante.
The agreement seeks to promote trade and investment, expand agricultural financing, and encourage joint projects in areas critical to food security and rural development.
The state visit, which brought together senior officials and private sector representatives from both countries, reaffirmed long-standing ties between Nigeria and Brazil.
The agreements signed in Brasília underscored commitments by both governments to transform shared interests into actionable partnerships across aviation, diplomacy, science, and agriculture.
