According to the Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris, the return of Brazil’s oil giant, Petrobras, to Nigeria’s upstream is a major breakthrough recorded by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s two-day state visit to the largest economy in South America.
Besides, Nigeria’s largest airline, Air Peace, was given the right to commence Lagos-Sao Paulo flights to underscore the renewed economic and cultural ties between the two countries.
Sao Paulo is Brazil’s economic powerhouse and largest city.
Air Peace Chief Executive Officer, Allen Onyema, said the airline would deploy a Boeing 777 from its fleet to service the route. A symbolic flight was planned for last night.
These agreements are part of the Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed by the two countries during the President’s third visit to Brazil in less than one year.
His two earlier visits were on invitations extended to Nigeria by G-20 and BRICS.
“Air Peace is now cleared to run flights between Lagos and Sao Paulo”, Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, declared to the excitement of President Tinubu at a joint news conference at the Palácio do Planalto in Brasília to round off the visit.
According to Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu said the resumption of Petrobras’ operations five years after it halted joint ventures in Nigeria, would reignite economic cooperation in the energy sector.
“We have the largest gas repository. So, I don’t see why Petrobras doesn’t join as a partner in Nigeria as soon as possible. I appreciate President Lula’s promise that this will be done as soon as possible,” Tinubu said.
The President praised his Brazilian counterpart for committing to revitalising the partnership between the two nations.
“Nigeria’s economic space remains a virgin land, full of opportunities for Brazilian companies,” Tinubu said, while acknowledging Embraer’s role in boosting local airline operations through plans for a service centre in Nigeria to support maintenance and repairs.
