President Bola Tinubu has urged the newly appointed Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Jose Areias, to prioritise the establishment of direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil.

Tinubu said this while receiving the Letter of Credence from the Brazilian Ambassador at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, August 29, 2024.

The president reiterated his discussions with President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on the matter, in February, on the margins of the African Union Summit at Addis Ababa in Ethiopia.

He also expressed Nigeria’s commitment to working closely with Brazil to strengthen bilateral relations and advance shared priorities, welcoming the country’s presidency of the G20 in 2024.

Tinubu said: “We have a long history of bilateral and cultural relations with Brazil. You must see Nigeria as your second home and explore the abundant economic opportunities in the country.

“I have been talking to some of my Brazilian friends concerning the prospects of investing in dairy farming in Nigeria. We are eager to push these investments forward.

“In my recent discussions with President Lula, we agreed to energise the economic development of our two countries, and I look forward to continuing that collaboration.”

In his remarks, Areias said President Lula is looking forward to welcoming Tinubu to the G20 Leaders’ Summit scheduled for November 18 and 19, 2024, in Rio de Janeiro.

He also conveyed President Lula’s invitation to Nigeria to join the Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty, adding that the initiative, based on the value of food security, is the main proposal of the Brazilian presidency at the G20 to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030.

The Brazilian Ambassador said: “I will do whatever I can to improve Brazil-Nigeria relations. Ten years ago, the volume of trade between our two countries was in the region of $10 billion, and I will work hard to improve on the number.

“Africa is top priority for President Lula and Nigeria is the most important country for us.”

President Tinubu also received the Letter of Credence from Ghana’s High Commissioner to Nigeria, Vice-Admiral Seth Amoama (Rtd).

Tinubu commended Ghana’s active participation in ECOWAS and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to strengthening relations with its West African ally.

“You must feel at home in Nigeria. Our doors are always open and I wish you a pleasant stay in the country,” the President told the High Commissioner and former Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) of Ghana, who is an alumnus of the University of Ibadan (UI) and fellow of the National Defence College in Abuja.

Amoama, on his part, expressed Ghana’s steadfast support to Nigeria’s leadership of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

The Star