President Bola Tinubu has returned to Nigeria from his trips to Saint Lucia and Brazil.
In a post on X on Sunday morning, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to the president, said Tinubu was welcomed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja by Atiku Bagudu, minister for budget and economic planning; Bello Matawalle, minister for defence, and Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser; Ibrahim Masari, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC); and Aliyu Wamakko, former Sokoto governor.
In June, the president kicked off a two-nation diplomatic tour of the Caribbean and South America.
The presidency said Tinubu’s state visit to Saint Lucia was “part of efforts to deepen Nigeria’s engagement with Caribbean nations”.
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While in Saint Lucia, the president addressed a special joint session of the country’s parliament.
The government of Saint Lucia had also conferred Tinubu with the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Lucia (KCOSL) — the highest honour in the country.
Thereafter, the president travelled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the 17th BRICS summit.
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Onanuga said Nigeria attended the meeting as a “partner country”, which ranks above a guest nation.
The presidential aide added that the designation reflects a growing recognition of Nigeria’s strategic importance within the bloc.
Speaking at the summit, Tinubu said there should be equity and inclusion for low-income and emerging economies in global systems.
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