Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Nigerian Government will sign more than 30 Memoranda of Understanding, MoUs, with Brazil next week, as Nigeria hosts the second session of the Nigeria-Brazil Strategic Dialogue Mechanism, SDM, a high-stakes diplomatic and investment engagement beginning Monday, June 23, 2025.
The landmark event, coinciding with the official visit of Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, will unlock new investment flows and deepen cooperation across key sectors including agriculture, energy, defence, innovation, and the creative economy.
Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, during a media briefing on Wednesday, noted that the bilateral talks and MoU signings would facilitate technical cooperation and open pathways for scalable private sector engagement
Hadejia said, “This is a defining moment for Nigeria’s international diplomacy and economic expansion. The visit underscores a new chapter of strategic collaboration between two influential regional powers. It aligns seamlessly with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda of global partnerships and economic revitalisation.
“We will engage in comprehensive discussions aimed at expanding collaboration across sectors critical to our national development,” he said.
Among the summit’s major highlights is the Nigeria-Brazil Business Forum, scheduled for June 25. The forum is expected to attract hundreds of government and private sector leaders from both nations, representing a combined consumer base of over 400 million.
Also speaking, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, revealed that sector-specific platforms, including a Digital Trade Room, will be unveiled during the forum.
“Brazil’s experience in digital inclusion and Nigeria’s thriving fintech ecosystem present a powerful synergy for scalable innovation,” she said.
The SDM was first established in 2013 but has gained new traction following President Tinubu’s official visit to Brazil in late 2024.
In the agriculture sector, the two countries are expected to sign MoUs targeting enhanced productivity through research in animal genetics, soya bean production, and mechanisation.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, disclosed that the dialogue will also accelerate implementation of the Green Imperative Programme, GIP, a $4.5 billion investment to establish agricultural project delivery offices across all 774 local government areas in Nigeria.
“We are leveraging this platform to operationalise the Green Imperative and bring about real transformation in food production at scale,” Kyari said.
Minister of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy, Hajiya Hannatu Musawa, said the SDM would help reposition Nigeria’s cultural and tourism industries. “We are looking to tap into our shared Afro-Atlantic heritage with Brazil. The MoUs we sign will open up new economic and cultural opportunities in music, film, fashion, and tourism,” she said.
Planning for the dialogue has extended beyond federal agencies to include subnational governments and private sector players.
Marion Moon, Technical Assistant to the President on Agriculture and Executive Secretary of the Presidential Food Systems Coordinating Unit, said Brazilian investors would be hosted in strategic states.
“Beyond Abuja, we’ll be taking the Brazilian delegation to investment sites in Kebbi, Plateau, Lagos, Edo, Nasarawa, and the FCT,” Moon said.
Director of Regions at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Janet Olisa, stressed that the MoUs will be anchored on shared strengths and economic priorities.
“We are ensuring that every ministry brings its best. Nearly 30 MoUs are under negotiation, and some will be signed during this visit. Others will be concluded when the President visits Brazil,” she said.
She affirmed that the SDM is not merely a diplomatic forum, but “a serious mechanism for real investment outcomes and deepening South-South cooperation.”
