Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on Monday 25th. Aug. 2025 for a State visit focused on strengthening bilateral relations. Among the main topics on the agenda were the recent increase in U.S. tariffs on imported goods and the defense of multilateralism. Nigeria is one of ten partner members of the BRICS bloc, which has been the target of criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump. Nigerian exports to the U.S. are now subject to a 15% tariff, while several Brazilian products face a 50% surcharge imposed by Washington.
The meeting in Brasília follows a bilateral encounter in Rio de Janeiro last month on the sidelines of the BRICS leaders’ summit. That dialogue came just weeks after Brazil’s Vice President Geraldo Alckmin led an official mission to Abuja. At both meetings, Lula and Tinubu emphasized the need to expand investment flows and bilateral trade, while also discussing preparations for the COP30 climate conference, scheduled for November in Belém.
The two leaders also explored the establishment of direct air connections between Brazil and Nigeria, which they said could stimulate both tourism and business opportunities. Cooperation projects in energy transition, science, technology, innovation, and space research were also highlighted.
On Monday, Lula and Tinubu held a private meeting at the Palácio do Planalto, followed by an extended session with ministers from both governments. They then took part in the signing of bilateral agreements and issued a joint statement to the press. The schedule included an official lunch at the Itamaraty Palace before both leaders headed to the Brazil–Nigeria Business Forum, hosted at Sebrae’s national headquarters, where around 200 business leaders and investors gathered.
At Lula’s invitation, President Tinubu’s State visit takes place on August 25–26, accompanied by Nigerian ministers and governors. Beyond meetings with Lula, Tinubu will also be received by the presidents of the Brazilian Senate, the Chamber of Deputies, and the Supreme Federal Court. Together with Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, he will close the Business Forum later in the day. Brazil and Nigeria celebrate 65 years of diplomatic relations in 2025, a partnership rooted in deep historical and cultural ties. Brazil was the only South American country invited to attend Nigeria’s independence proclamation on October 1, 1960, and the two nations have since built a robust relationship.
in March 2025, Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira traveled to Nigeria, and in June, Vice President Alckmin co-chaired the second session of the Strategic Dialogue Mechanism in Abuja.
In 2024, Nigeria was Brazil’s fourth-largest trading partner in Africa, with bilateral trade reaching US$ 2 billion, a 20% increase from 2023. Brazil’s main exports were sugars and molasses (74%), while imports from Nigeria were dominated by fertilizers (48%) and oil and petroleum derivatives (48%).
