The federal government has signed a landmark bilateral air service agreement with Brazil for direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil.
The pact was signed by Nigeria’s minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo and Brazil’s minister of Transport, Silvio Costa Filho.
The BASA establishes a new framework for direct air connectivity between Nigeria and Brazil, opening fresh avenues for trade, tourism, investment, and people-to-people exchanges. It is expected to foster stronger economic integration, facilitate cultural ties, and enhance diplomatic cooperation between the nations.
Special adviser to the minister for media, Tunde Moshood, said in a statement that this agreement is a strategic milestone that underscores the President Bola Tinubu administration’s commitment to expanding Nigeria’s global partnerships and creating enabling environments for commerce and mobility.
He said the Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in his remarks, lauded the partnership, emphasising Brazil’s readiness to deepen ties with Nigeria in multiple spheres, including aviation, agriculture, and infrastructure development.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu led a delegation to Brazil in the company of senior cabinet members, including the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Olawale Edun, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Onoh Ojukwu, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, the Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, among others.
The MoU is a significant step in strengthening bilateral ties between the two largest economies on their respective continents.
Moshood noted that a major highlight of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalising a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Brazil.
