Nigeria and Brazil are set to sign a Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) to establish direct flights between the two countries.
The agreement is scheduled to be a key highlight of President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Brazil, which begins on August 24.
The development was announced on Sunday by Obafemi Bajomo, the Special Adviser on Foreign Direct Investments to the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. Bajomo confirmed that the final documents for the agreement are ready for exchange and execution.
According to Bajomo, the BASA is expected to pave the way for four to five weekly direct flights, with Nigerian carriers such as Air Peace and Caverton as potential operators. The agreement aims to significantly reduce travel time and logistics costs, creating new trade corridors for agricultural products, manufactured goods, and services between Africa's and South America's largest economies.
Bajomo stated that the journey to this milestone began in May, when a Nigerian delegation led by aviation minister Festus Keyamo held formal bilateral talks with Brazil’s Minister of Ports and Airports, Silvio Costa Filho. The discussions led to the formation of a technical working group, which worked to fast-track the agreement.
Beyond air routes, the ministers have also mapped out plans for technical cooperation, including pilot training and airport infrastructure upgrades. President Tinubu's two-nation working visit also includes a stop in Yokohama, Japan, from August 20 to August 22, for the Ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9), before he proceeds to Brasília.
