Carlos Jose Areias, the recently appointed Brazilian ambassador to Nigeria, was given a directive by President Bola Tinubu on Thursday to prioritize establishing direct flights between Brazil and Nigeria.
The President issued the directive while accepting the Brazilian Ambassador’s Letter of Credence at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, according to Ajuri Ngelale, Special Advisor to the President on Media and Publicity.
Reiterating his conversations on the subject with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil, President Tinubu spoke about them in February in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the African Union Summit.
The President welcomed Brazil’s 2024 G20 presidency and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to collaborating closely to enhance bilateral relations and achieve common goals.
“We have a long history of bilateral and cultural ties with Brazil. You have to consider Nigeria to be your second home and take advantage of all the business prospects it offers.”
“I’ve been discussing the possibility of investing in dairy farming in Nigeria with a few of my Brazilian friends. We can’t wait to advance these investments.”
“I look forward to continuing our collaboration to energize the economic development of our two countries, as we discussed in our recent discussions with President Lula,” the President added.
Areias stated that President Lula is excited to have President Tinubu attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit, which will take place in Rio de Janeiro on November 18 and 19, 2024.
Additionally, he transmitted President Lula’s invitation to Nigeria to become a member of the Global Alliance against Poverty and Hunger.
He clarified that the effort is the primary plan of the Brazilian president at the G20 to end extreme poverty by 2030 and is centered on the importance of food security.
”I am in a country similar to Brazil, and I feel very much at home here with the culture, music, and people of Nigeria.”
“I will do whatever I can to enhance relations between Brazil and Nigeria. Ten years ago, the volume of trade between our two countries was around $10 billion, and I will work hard to increase that number.”
“President Lula considers Africa to be his first priority, and Nigeria is our most important partner,” the Brazilian ambassador added.
Additionally, Seth Amoama, a former vice admiral and Ghana’s high commissioner to Nigeria, gave President Tinubu his Letter of Credence.
Ghana’s active involvement in ECOWAS was applauded by President Tinubu, who also reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to fortifying ties with its West African ally.
“You should feel at home in Nigeria. Our doors are always open, and I hope you have a nice stay in the country,” the President told Ghana’s High Commissioner and former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who is a University of Ibadan alumnus and a member of the National Defence College in Abuja.
Ghana’s strong support for Nigeria’s leadership in the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government was conveyed by the High Commissioner.
“We will continue to support President Tinubu’s able leadership in every way possible,” the Ghanaian High Commissioner stated.
