President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of Nigeria was received on Saturday by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at two iconic military landmarks in Rio de Janeiro, ahead of the 17th BRICS Summit scheduled to begin on Sunday.
The leaders met at the Army History Museum within Fort Copacabana, where President Tinubu was given a tour of the facility, which commemorates Brazil’s military heritage. The symbolic visit also extended to the broader Copacabana Fort complex, overlooking the Atlantic coast, in a gesture underscoring the historic significance of Nigeria’s participation in the influential BRICS forum.
President Tinubu is attending the summit as a newly designated BRICS “partner country” and is expected to engage in high-level talks aimed at deepening Nigeria’s economic and diplomatic ties with member states.
The 17th BRICS Summit, hosted by President Lula, will run from 6 to 7 July in Rio de Janeiro. Leaders will deliberate on inclusive global governance, green energy, climate finance, artificial intelligence, trade and health cooperation. However, the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin who are being represented by their respective deputies has drawn global attention.
Tinubu is expected to highlight Nigeria’s recent economic reforms and present new investment opportunities across sectors such as energy, agriculture, healthcare and mineral resources, positioning Africa’s most populous nation as a key player in the evolving global south alliance.
