Nigeria on Monday signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with Brazil, creating a framework for direct flights between the two countries.
The agreement was signed in Brasília by Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr Festus Keyamo, and Brazil’s Minister of Transport, Mr Silvio Costa Filho, in the presence of President Bola Tinubu and President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
According to a statement by Mr Tunde Moshood, Special Adviser on Media and Communications to Nigeria’s aviation minister, the pact is expected to boost trade, tourism, investment, and people-to-people exchange between Africa’s and South America’s largest economies.
“The agreement is a strategic milestone that underscores President Tinubu’s administration’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s global partnerships and creating an enabling environment for commerce and mobility,” the statement read.
The BASA is also designed to strengthen economic integration, deepen cultural ties, and enhance diplomatic cooperation between the two nations.
President Tinubu, who began a two-day state visit to Brazil on Monday, was warmly received by President Lula. During the visit, Tinubu is scheduled to meet with leaders of Brazil’s Senate, Chamber of Deputies, and Supreme Federal Court.
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President Lula welcomed the agreement and pledged Brazil’s readiness to broaden cooperation with Nigeria in aviation, agriculture, infrastructure, and other strategic sectors.
Tinubu’s delegation included senior cabinet members such as Mr Olawale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy; Amb. Bianca Ojukwu, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Mr Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security; and other top government officials.
