President Bola Ahmed Tinubu met with his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, on Sunday on the sidelines of the 37th African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The two leaders discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across various sectors, including trade, investment, energy, agriculture, education, and health.
President Tinubu, who assumed the chairmanship of the AU for 2024, praised President Lula for his leadership and vision in advancing the interests of Brazil and the South-South cooperation. He expressed Nigeria’s interest in learning from Brazil’s experience in developing its economy, reducing poverty, and promoting social inclusion.
President Lula, who returned to power in 2023 after defeating Jair Bolsonaro, congratulated President Tinubu on his election as the AU chair and reaffirmed Brazil’s commitment to supporting Africa’s development agenda. He highlighted the potential for expanding the strategic partnership between Nigeria and Brazil, which dates back to 2005, and enhancing the collaboration within the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, the BRICS, and the G20.
The two presidents agreed to follow up on the outcomes of their meeting and to work together to foster peace, security, and prosperity in their respective regions and the world at large. They also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual concern, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, terrorism, and human rights. They reiterated their support for multilateralism and the reform of the United Nations Security Council.
