President Bola Ahmed Tinubu landed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Friday night to attend the 17th BRICS Summit, marking Nigeria’s historic debut as a partner country at the high-profile economic gathering.
The presidential aircraft, which departed earlier from Saint Lucia, touched down at Rio International Airport at approximately 8:45 p.m. local time.
On arrival, Tinubu was welcomed by top Brazilian officials, including the Secretary for Africa and the Middle East, as well as the Secretary for Innovation and Commerce.
Nigeria joins the 2025 BRICS Summit alongside South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia, the only African nations currently holding full BRICS membership.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga, in a statement, noted that Tinubu’s invitation was personally extended by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, citing Nigeria’s elevation to a “partner country” status.
According to Onanuga, “The Partner status is higher than that of a guest country, as has been the case in the past.”
This year’s summit comes at a critical moment globally, as international trade dynamics face mounting strain amid renewed tariff threats by U.S. President Donald Trump.
In response, BRICS leaders are expected to emphasize greater economic cooperation among member and partner countries as a means of reducing dependency on Western markets.
