By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
President Bola Tinubu in Brasília, Brazil has commenced a state visit to Brazil.
A statement by Bayo Bayo Onanuga Special Adviser to the President, Information & Strategy, explains that President Tinubu, who flew in from Los Angeles, United States, was received by senior Brazilian government officials at the Brasília Air Base.
The officials included Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, Secretary for Africa and the Middle East and Ambassador Carlos José Areias Moreno Garcete, Ambassador of Brazil to Nigeria.
Nigeria’s Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, was also at the Air Base reception.
Other ministers, heads of key government agencies, and private sector members, who will participate in a string of bilateral talks and MOU signings.
The official welcoming ceremony, with full military honours is expected to take place at the Planalto Palace.
At the Planalto, President Tinubu and the President of the Federative Republic of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, will hold a tête-à-tête, followed by expanded bilateral meetings attended by senior officials of both governments.
The leaders will witness the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) and address a joint press conference afterwards.
During the state visit, President Tinubu will meet with the President of the Brazilian Senate at the National Congress, the President of the Chamber of Deputies, and the President of the Supreme Federal Court.
He will also participate in the Nigeria-Brazil Business Forum as part of a packed programme in Brasília on Monday.
Nigeria and Brazil share longstanding cordial diplomatic relations from the early 1960s.
Nigeria formally established its Embassy in Brazil on October 18, 1966, while Brazil was the only Latin American country to participate in Nigeria’s independence celebrations on October 1, 1960.
