Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has called for a revitalized economic alliance between Nigeria and Brazil, urging both countries to deepen their trade ties and explore joint investment opportunities across strategic sectors. Speaking at the Brazil–Nigeria Business Roundtable in Rio de Janeiro, Tuggar highlighted the untapped potential in areas such as energy, agriculture, aviation, and digital technology.

The roundtable, hosted by ApexBrasil in collaboration with Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), brought together public and private sector stakeholders from both nations to explore frameworks that promote cross-border investment, regulatory cooperation, and innovation-led growth.

Tuggar emphasized the need to build on the longstanding diplomatic and cultural ties between Nigeria and Brazil, advocating for a new era of trade and technology-driven collaboration. “Our countries share a legacy of cooperation. Now is the time to translate that legacy into tangible economic progress,” he said, adding that Nigeria is committed to reforms that de-risk investments and create sustainable partnerships for inclusive development.

He also reaffirmed Nigeria’s readiness to engage Brazilian businesses interested in innovation, particularly those aligned with digital infrastructure, regulatory technology solutions, and smart agriculture.

Prominent Brazilian officials and business leaders—including José Luis Pinho Leite Gordon (BNDES), Raphael Cittadino (ApexBrasil), and Marcelo Salum (Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs)—participated in the discussions, alongside representatives from Petrobras, Embraer, and other multinationals.

Representing the Brazilian government, Salum underscored Brazil’s interest in Nigeria’s flourishing digital economy, highlighting opportunities for collaboration in fintech, agritech, and infrastructure modernization. He cited Nigeria’s unicorn startups as proof of a thriving innovation ecosystem that could benefit from stronger bilateral engagement.

Salum also referenced agricultural cooperation efforts under the Green Imperative Project, designed to improve food security and technology transfer. Discussions also touched on enhancing trade in sugar and ethanol—sectors with strong potential for mutual benefit.

Ambassador Basil Okolo, Chargé d’Affaires at the Nigerian Embassy in Brazil, and Ms. Aisha Rimi, CEO of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), also contributed to the roundtable. Rimi, speaking virtually, reinforced Nigeria’s drive to attract long-term, value-driven investment through regulatory transparency and investor-focused reforms.

The forum marked a strategic move toward public-private partnerships, increased trade facilitation, and deeper economic integration between two of the world’s largest Black-majority democracies. It also signals Nigeria’s broader ambition to position itself as a leading investment destination in Africa, leveraging its regulatory reforms, growing digital sector, and demographic advantage.