President Bola Tinubu has urged Carlos Jose Areias, the recently appointed Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, to give priority to establishing direct flights between Brazil and Nigeria.
He reaffirmed his conversations with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about the issue in February 2024, during the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, upon receiving the Letter of Credence from the Brazilian Ambassador in Abuja.
In addition to praising Brazil’s 2024 G20 presidency, the President of Nigeria reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to collaborating closely with it to enhance bilateral ties and achieve common goals.
”We have a long history of bilateral and cultural relations with Brazil. You must see Nigeria as your second home and explore the abundant economic opportunities in the country,” Bola Tinubu said.
”I have been talking to some of my Brazilian friends concerning the prospects of investing in dairy farming in Nigeria. We are eager to push these investments forward. In my recent discussions with President Lula, we agreed to energise the economic development of our two countries, and I look forward to continuing that collaboration,” the Nigerian President added.
President Lula is excited to welcome President Bola Tinubu to the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which is set for November 18, and 19, 2024, in Rio de Janeiro, according to Ambassador Areias’ remarks.
He also delivered the invitation from President Lula to Nigeria to become a member of the “Global Alliance against Poverty and Hunger.”
Based on the principle of food security, he clarified, the initiative is the main proposal of the Brazilian presidency at the G20 to end extreme poverty by 2030.
”I am in a country similar to Brazil, and I feel very much at home here with the culture, music, and people of Nigeria. I will do whatever I can to improve Brazil-Nigeria relations. Ten years ago, the volume of trade between our two countries was in the region of $10 billion, and I will work hard to improve the number. Africa is top priority for President Lula and Nigeria is the most important country for us,” the Brazilian Ambassador concluded.