Nigeria and Brazil have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in science, technology, and innovation, opening new avenues for industrial growth, research collaboration, and job creation.
The agreement was sealed in Brasília by Nigeria’s Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, and Brazil’s Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Luciana Santos, in the presence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Minister Nnaji described the deal as a major leap in South-South cooperation, spanning biotechnology, space research, digital transformation, and energy transition. According to him, the partnership will not only foster innovation but also drive industrialisation and create employment opportunities in both nations. “From biotech to space research, digital transformation to energy transition, this partnership is a bold step in South-South cooperation—unlocking jobs, industries, and innovation for both nations,” Nnaji said.
President Tinubu emphasised that the agreement goes beyond symbolic ties, representing Nigeria’s commitment to turning opportunities into tangible results. He underscored the centrality of technology in advancing sovereignty, economic growth, and sustainable development. “There is no other way to do it than to embrace it with technology, fast development, research, food sovereignty, and manufacturing,” he said. The President also called for stronger collaboration in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, stressing the need for Brazil to share its technological expertise with Africa.
On his part, President Lula da Silva hailed the agreement as a “fresh start” in Brazil’s relations with Nigeria, highlighting the countries’ shared potential as the world’s two largest nations with Black populations. “At a time when protectionism and unilateralism have returned, Nigeria and Brazil reaffirm their bet on free trade and productive integration. We continue to be dedicated to building a world of peace, free from hegemonic impositions,” Lula said. He listed agriculture, oil and gas, fertilisers, aviation, and machinery as areas ripe for expanded cooperation, stressing that both countries could achieve more by leveraging their comparative advantages.
The pact was signed after an expanded bilateral meeting at the Palácio do Planalto, where both leaders also witnessed the exchange of several other agreements.
