President Bola Tinubu has touched down in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in the 17th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the BRICS emerging economies bloc.
Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, in a statement on Saturday, said the President’s aircraft landed at the Galeao Air Force Base at 8:45 PM on Friday.
Tinubu was welcomed with a Guard of Honour coordinated by the Galeao Air Force Base Commander.
Accompanying the President at the reception were Brazil’s Deputy Minister for Africa and the Middle East, Ambassador Carlos Sergio Sobral Duarte, and the Deputy Minister for Trade Promotion, Science, Technology, Innovation, and Culture.
President Tinubu’s presence at the summit is at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva.
Ahead of the main summit sessions scheduled for July 6 and 7, the Nigerian leader is set to hold a bilateral meeting with President Lula today, July 5.
During the BRICS Summit, Tinubu is expected to take part in a plenary session where he will deliver an address outlining Nigeria’s ongoing economic reforms aimed at enhancing global competitiveness.
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He will also seize the opportunity to attract international investors, highlighting opportunities within Nigeria’s key sectors such as agriculture, solid minerals, healthcare, and alternative energy.
The summit’s overarching theme is “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”
Discussions among the leaders will primarily focus on critical global issues, including public health, the governance of Artificial Intelligence, contemporary governance models, and pressing Climate Change concerns.
Prior to the Leaders’ Summit, political negotiators from the BRICS member nations engaged in discussions to forge stronger commitments.
Their brainstorming sessions focused on developing concrete solutions to the systemic challenges confronting the Global South, particularly concerning socially determined diseases, AI governance frameworks, and climate finance mechanisms.
President Tinubu is accompanied to the summit by a delegation of state governors, including Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), and Mohammed Umar Bago (Niger).
