Nigeria’s national carrier, Air Peace, has gained approval to begin direct flights from Lagos to São Paulo, marking a fresh phase in Nigeria–Brazil relations.
The announcement was made during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Brasília, where he met with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
At a joint briefing, Lula underscored the significance of the move.
“Increasing the direct connections between Nigeria and Brazil is another essential step to strengthen the ties between our societies. We have approved the launch of a direct flight, to be operated by Nigeria’s largest airline company, Air Peace, between Lagos and São Paulo,” he said.
The agreement followed a two-hour bilateral meeting at the Palácio do Planalto, where both leaders also oversaw the signing of multiple accords and memoranda of understanding.
According to presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, Nigeria’s aviation minister Festus Keyamo and Brazil’s minister of ports and airports, Silvio Costa Filhos, signed a bilateral air services deal designed to expand trade, tourism, and people-to-people links.
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Further agreements were reached during the visit. Nigeria’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, and Brazil’s foreign minister, Mauro Vieira, signed accords on diplomatic training and political consultations. In the area of science and technology, Nigerian minister Geoffrey Nnaji and Brazil’s Luciana Santos formalized cooperation on biotechnology, space development, bioeconomy, ocean science, digital transformation, and raw materials research.
On agriculture and finance, Ayo Sotinrin, managing director of Nigeria’s Bank of Agriculture, and Aluísio Mercadante, president of Brazil’s BNDES, concluded a pact covering agricultural financing, trade, and joint investments.
Speaking after the session, Tinubu said the agreements reflect Nigeria’s determination to build global partnerships that bring concrete economic benefits.
The Lagos–São Paulo route will be Air Peace’s first service to South America and is expected to strengthen tourism, cultural ties, and commerce between Africa’s largest economy and Latin America’s biggest market.