…Keyamo hails historic ties
By Chinelo Obogo
Nigeria and Brazil have moved a step closer to launching direct flights between the two nations, following the establishment of a joint technical working group to finalise a long-delayed Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA).
The development was announced after a meeting between Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, and Silvio Costa Filho, Brazil’s Minister of Ports and Airports, at the ministry’s headquarters in Brasília.
According to Tunde Moshood, Keyamo’s special adviser on media and communications, the meeting signalled a “renewed commitment by both countries to finalise the bilateral air service agreement that has long been stalled by bureaucratic bottlenecks.”
“Both ministers recalled the deep historical and cultural ties between Nigeria and Brazil and agreed on the urgent need to operationalise a direct air link between the two nations,” the statement read.
To accelerate progress, the two countries have immediately constituted a technical working group to draft and harmonise the agreement for signature in the coming weeks.
Describing the initiative as a “major milestone,” officials from both countries said the move would unlock new opportunities in tourism, trade, and cultural exchange.
At the meeting, Keyamo underscored the importance of the partnership:
“Nigeria is the largest country in Africa, and Brazil is one of the biggest in South America. No matter how we want to look at it, this air-link must commence without delay.” He highlighted the cultural ties binding both nations, especially through the Yoruba diaspora in Brazil:
“Nigeria and Brazil share a common history. We are like brothers and sisters. There is a particular tribe in Nigeria — the Yoruba — who live here in Brazil and still speak the same language.
We are like twins separated at birth and now reunited.”
Beyond the air link, the ministers also explored broader areas of cooperation, including technical training, knowledge exchange, infrastructure development, and investment in aviation and aerospace.
The meeting forms part of Keyamo’s ongoing working visit to Brazil, acting on President Bola Tinubu’s directive to establish a direct air corridor between Nigeria and South America.
Earlier in the week, Keyamo also met with executives at Embraer, one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers, at its headquarters in São José dos Campos, São Paulo. Discussions focused on expanding Nigeria’s aviation capabilities through modern aircraft access, affordable leasing, and financing options for local airlines.