By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has departed Brasília for Abuja after a state visit to Brazil aimed at deepening bilateral ties between the two nations.
The presidential jet departed the Brasília International Airport Air Force Base at 12:57 pm local time on Wednesday.
The brief departure ceremony was attended by senior Brazilian diplomats, including Secretary for Africa and the Middle East Amb.
Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, and featured a guard of honour.
The visit, which began on Monday, August 25, was marked by a formal welcome ceremony at the Palácio do Planalto, where President Tinubu was received with full military honours by his Brazilian counterpart, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The core of the diplomatic engagement was a meeting between the two leaders, who oversaw the signing of five Memoranda of Understanding.
The agreements cover critical sectors for Nigeria’s development, including aviation, foreign affairs, science and technology, and agriculture.
The Nigerian delegation included the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, who was present at the airport for the President’s departure.