Nigeria and Brazil have signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) paving the way for direct flights between the two countries, in a move expected to boost trade, tourism and investment.
Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister, Festus Keyamo, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of the Federal Government, while Brazil’s Minister of Transport, Silvio Costa Filho, signed for his country. The signing was witnessed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Brazilian counterpart, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, according to a statement by Keyamo’s media aide, Tunde Moshood.
The agreement, the statement noted, represents “a strategic milestone that underscores President Tinubu administration’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s global partnerships and creating enabling environments for commerce and mobility.”
Under the arrangement, Brazilian national carrier Varig Air will operate flights from Brazil, while Air Peace and Caverton Airlines will represent Nigeria.
President Tinubu, who led a high-powered delegation to Brasília, was accompanied by senior cabinet members including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odimegwu-Ojukwu; and Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari.
President Lula da Silva welcomed the partnership, pledging to deepen cooperation with Nigeria in aviation, agriculture, infrastructure and other sectors.
Today, President Tinubu is scheduled to hold meetings with the President of the Brazilian Senate at the National Congress, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, and the President of the Supreme Federal Court.
The visit is expected to feature further high-level engagements between Nigerian and Brazilian officials across multiple sectors, reinforcing both nations’ commitment to stronger economic and diplomatic ties.
