By Atoyebi Nike
Nigeria’s flag carrier, Air Peace, will soon begin direct flights from Lagos to São Paulo following a new bilateral air services agreement between Nigeria and Brazil.
The announcement was made on Tuesday during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Brazil. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the direct connection would strengthen ties between the two countries.
“Increasing the direct connections between Nigeria and Brazil is another essential step to strengthen the ties between our societies,” Lula said at a joint press conference.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed that Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and Brazil’s Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Filhos, signed the bilateral deal in Brasília.
Other agreements were also sealed during the visit, including cooperation in diplomatic training, political consultations, biotechnology, innovation, energy, and agriculture.
The Bank of Agriculture in Nigeria and Brazil’s National Bank for Economic and Social Development also signed an MoU on agricultural financing and trade promotion.
The direct flight route is expected to deepen trade, tourism, and people-to-people ties between Africa’s largest economy and South America’s biggest nation.
