AIR Peace, a Nigerian national flag carrier, has received approval to commence direct flight operations from Lagos to São Paulo in Brazil.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, announced this in a statement on Tuesday, August 26.
He said the direct flight deal was one of the agreements between President Bola Tinubu and his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Tinubu, who is on a two-day state visit to Brazil, on Monday, August 25, had a joint news conference with Lula da Silva, where deals on aviation, trade, agriculture, and others were signed.
According to Onanuga’s statement, the Brazilian President affirmed that, “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.”
The development followed the two-hour bilateral meeting at the Palácio do Planalto in Brasília, where the two leaders witnessed the signing of agreements and memoranda of understanding (MoUs).
Onanuga said the Nigerian minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, and Brazilian minister of ports and airports, Silvio Costa Filhos, signed a bilateral air services agreement to “boost trade and people-to-people ties.”
He further stated that Nigeria’s minister of state for foreign affairs, Bianca Ojukwu, and her Brazilian counterpart, Mauro Vieira, signed an agreement on diplomatic training cooperation.
Both ministers also signed an MoU on political consultations to address bilateral, regional, and international issues of common interest, the presidential aide said.
“Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Geoffrey Nnaji, and Brazil’s Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Luciana Santos, signed an MoU on cooperation in biotechnology, bioeconomy, ocean science, innovation ecosystems, energy, space development, digital transformation, and raw materials research.
“Managing Director of Nigeria’s Bank of Agriculture, Ayo Sotinrin, and Brazil’s Minister for the National Bank for Economic and Social Development (BNDES), Aluísio Mercadante, signed an MOU for cooperation on trade and investment promotion, harmonising efforts to expand agricultural financing, investment, and joint projects,” Onanuga added.
The ICIR reports that Tinubu had arrived in Brasília, Brazil’s capital city, on Monday, August 25, for a two-day state visit after a trip to Los Angeles, United States (US).
The president was received by senior Brazilian government officials at the Brasília Air Base.
The ICIR reported recently that Nigeria and Brazil have advanced discussions to activate their Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) towards establishing direct flights between the two countries.
This follows a commitment made in February 2024 by Presidents Tinubu and Lula da Silva in Addis Ababa to strengthen air connectivity between the two countries.