Nigeria and Brazil have signed a Bilateral Air Service Agreement, clearing the path for direct flights between the two nations and strengthening both aviation and diplomatic ties.

The accord was finalized during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s two-day state visit to Brazil, following talks with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brasília.

The signing ceremony was conducted by Nigeria’s Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister, Festus Keyamo and Brazil’s Transport Minister, Silvio Costa Filho, in the presence of both presidents, according to a statement from Keyamo’s spokesperson, Tunde Moshood.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, today, commenced a two-day state visit to the Federative Republic of Brazil where he signed a landmark bilateral air service agreement with the largest South American country,” the statement read in part.

It added, “A major highlight of the visit was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) formalizing a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Brazil. The agreement was signed by Nigeria’s Honourable Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo SAN, alongside Brazil’s Minister of Transport, Silvio Costa Filho, in the presence of both Heads of State.”

The BASA establishes a framework for direct air connectivity, expected to stimulate trade, tourism, investment, and cultural exchange between Nigeria and Brazil.

The statement added that the direct flight arrangement will not only strengthen diplomatic relations but also open opportunities for future cooperation in aviation, agriculture, and infrastructure development.

President Tinubu hailed the pact as a strategic milestone for Nigeria, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to broadening global partnerships and improving mobility for trade and people-to-people connections.

Brazilian President da Silva also welcomed the agreement, expressing Brazil’s readiness to deepen collaboration with Nigeria across multiple sectors.

The plan for direct flights between Nigeria and Brazil, particularly on the Lagos–São Paulo route, was first discussed by Presidents Tinubu and da Silva during their meeting at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa in February 2024.