President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday received a red-carpet welcome and full military honours from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva at the Planalto Palace, the official seat of Brazil’s presidency in Brasília.
The elaborate reception featured a colourful guard of honour and formal ceremonial protocols. President da Silva personally welcomed Tinubu, exchanged pleasantries, posed for photographs, and introduced members of his cabinet. In return, Tinubu presented his delegation, which included several Nigerian ministers.
Tinubu is in Brazil’s capital city for a two-day state visit, arriving earlier in the day from Los Angeles, United States.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, confirmed the arrival in a statement posted on X. He disclosed that Tinubu was received at the Brasília Air Base by senior Brazilian officials, including Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, Secretary for Africa and the Middle East, and Ambassador Carlos José Areias Moreno Garcete, Brazil’s envoy to Nigeria.
Also present to welcome the Nigerian leader was Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, alongside other cabinet members, heads of key agencies, and representatives from the private sector.
According to Onanuga, Tinubu’s itinerary in Brazil includes bilateral meetings, high-level talks, and the signing of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) designed to strengthen Nigeria–Brazil relations across trade, diplomacy, and investment.
