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JUNKETING TINUBU ON THIRD VISIT TO BRAZIL IN NINE MONTHS
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will today depart Abuja, for a two-nation trip to Japan and Brazil.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said in a statement, that while in Japan, President Tinubu will attend the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in the City of Yokohama from August 20 to 22. From there, he will proceed to Brazil, a country he has visited three times in the last nine months.
There are whispers in some quarters over Tinubu’s alleged recent “obsession” with Brazil, akin to his numerous visits to France since he took over as president.
On his first leg of today’s visit starting with Japan, Tinubu will take part in a conference themed: “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa,” TICAD9, which will focus on Africa’s economic transformation and improvements in the business environment and institutions through private investment and innovation.
It will also promote a resilient and sustainable African society for human security, peace, and stability, he said.
The president, however, is leaving Abuja, six days before the Tokyo engagement, with the presidential aide saying that he would stop over in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, before proceeding to Japan.
Part of the statement issued yesterday, said in addition to attending plenary sessions on themes linked to the conference, the president will hold bilateral meetings and meet the chief executive officers of some Japanese companies with investments in Nigeria.
Initiated in 1993 by the Japanese government and co-hosted by the United Nations (UNDP) the African Union Commission, and the World Bank, TICAD is a triennial conference held alternately in Japan and Africa. The last one took place in August, 2022, in Tunisia. The forum fosters high-level policy dialogue between African leaders and development partners, Daily trust gathered.
The statement further disclosed that at the end of the TICAD9, President Tinubu will leave for Brasilia, the capital of the Federative Republic of Brazil, on a two-day state visit from Sunday, August 24, to Monday, August 25. The visit, according to the Presidency, followed an invitation by the Brazilian President, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
While in Brazil, President Tinubu will hold a bilateral meeting with his host and attend a business forum with Brazilian investors, it added. Daily Trust learnt that the president’s delegation—comprising key ministers and senior officials will also explore opportunities to strengthen cooperation and sign agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Brazilian government. It is worthy of note that this trip will be the third time the president will be visiting Brazil in the past nine months.
In November last year, President Tinubu travelled to Brazil to attend the 19th G20 Leaders Summit on November 18 and 19, 2024.
The two-day event brought together leaders from the world’s 20 biggest economies, plus representatives from the African Union, European Union, and major financial institutions. Onanuga, who announced the trip, said it was at the behest of Brazil’s president Lula da Silva, who chairs the G20.
Onanuga also said last year’s summit focused on “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet,” and that the gathering was expected to tackle major challenges like global poverty, hunger, energy transition, and sustainable development. During the summit, Tinubu advocated for changing how global institutions are governed, something Nigeria had long supported, he said.
“Nigeria has always strongly advocated for a reform of the global governing institutions, and often presented its impressive credentials as a strong contender for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council,” Onanuga explained.
He added that the meetings focused on boosting Nigeria’s social and economic progress, especially in farming, energy, and infrastructure.
And in July this year, barely a month ago, President Tinubu also visited Brazil after a state visit to Saint Lucia. It was reported that the president attended the BRICS summit, which held in the country.
Just like the fresh visit where the president is expected to move from Japan to Brazil, the last time, he proceeded to the country after a two day visit to Saint Lucia.
