Tinubu wraps up 12-day diplomatic tour, leaves Brazil for Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has departed Brazil for Abuja, the nation’s capital, after spending over 12 days abroad.

In a statement, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, said the presidential jet conveying the president back took off from Brasília International Airport at 12:57 pm local time.

He said Carlos Duarte, Brazil’s secretary for Africa and the Middle East, and Carlos Garcete, the country’s ambassador to Nigeria, were present at the airport to bid farewell to Tinubu.

Onanuga said Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, minister of state for foreign affairs, and other government officials were also at the airport.

Tinubu departed Nigeria on August 15, stopped over in Dubai, UAE, and arrived in Yokohama, Japan, on August 18.

While in the Asian country, the president attended the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9).

The conference, initiated by the Japanese government, was co-hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Union Commission, and the World Bank.

The conference focused on Africa’s economic transformation, improvements in the business environment and institutions through private investment and innovation.

Tinubu left Japan on Thursday night, made a three-day stopover in Los Angeles before proceeding to Brasília, Brazil’s capital, for a two-day visit.

While in South America, Tinubu met with Brazil’s president, Luiz da Silva, and senior Brazilian officials.

Both leaders signed memoranda of understanding, covering aviation, foreign affairs, science and technology, and agriculture.