By Asmau Mohammed
Abuja, Nigeria – June 23, 2025. Nigeria and Brazil have reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral relations through the 2nd Vice Presidential Strategic Dialogue Mechanism (SDM), which opened on Monday in Abuja.
The Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, OON, welcomed a high-powered Brazilian delegation led by Vice President Geraldo Alckmin to the dialogue, which builds upon the inaugural session held in Brasília in 2013.
This was contained in a statement issued on 23rd June 2025 by Alkasim Abdulkadir
Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy to the Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs
According to the SDM serves as a platform to enhance cooperation across critical sectors, including trade and investment, agriculture, defence, energy, health, climate change, and cultural exchange. Ambassador Tuggar emphasized that the renewed engagement aligns with both nations’ shared goals for development, economic resilience, and global partnership.
“This event marks another epoch in the bilateral relations of our two countries and reflects our shared vision for strategic collaboration through people-to-people exchange and robust private sector engagement,” Tuggar said.
He highlighted the historic ties between the two nations, dating back to the 1960s, and paid tribute to the efforts of distinguished diplomats such as Brazil’s Ambassador Paulo Tarso Flecha de Lima and Nigeria’s Ambassador Patrick Dele Cole.
The Minister noted that the SDM has already yielded tangible results, pointing to the Green Imperative Project an agricultural initiative gaining momentum under the current administration.
Tuggar praised Vice President Alckmin as “a man whose place in history is already assured,” and acknowledged the parallel leadership journeys of Alckmin and Nigeria’s Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, both of whom are former governors.
“Our relationship is rooted in pragmatism and mutual support,” he added. “From counter-trade mechanisms to strategic cooperation in times of economic strain, Nigeria and Brazil have consistently demonstrated resilience and shared purpose.”
The meeting is expected to culminate in a joint communiqué outlining new frameworks for bilateral cooperation and reinforcing both countries’ leadership roles in advancing South-South cooperation and sustainable development.
