President Bola Tinubu has landed in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to take part in the 17th BRICS summit. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—countries known for being strong developing economies.

Tinubu’s plane arrived at Galeao Air Force Base at 8:45 pm on Friday, July 4 (Brazil local time). He was welcomed by Brazilian officials including the Deputy Minister for Africa and the Middle East, and the Deputy Minister in charge of Trade, Technology, Innovation, and Culture. A military Guard of Honour was also held in his honour.

The Nigerian President was invited to the summit by Brazil’s President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Before the main summit starts, Tinubu is expected to meet one-on-one with President Lula on July 5.

Tinubu will speak during the summit’s main session, sharing how Nigeria is working to fix its economy and attract more foreign investment. He will also highlight the country’s potential in sectors like farming, solid minerals, health, and renewable energy.

The BRICS summit, which will be held from July 6 to 7, has the theme: “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.” Leaders will talk about important global topics like health, climate change, artificial intelligence, and how to improve international governance.

Before the summit started, BRICS representatives met to plan how the member countries can work together on issues such as fighting diseases, managing AI technologies, and funding climate change efforts.

Tinubu didn’t attend alone—he’s joined by five Nigerian governors: Hyacinth Alia from Benue State, Dapo Abiodun from Ogun, Babajide Sanwo-Olu from Lagos, Sheriff Oborevwori from Delta, and Mohammed Umar Bago from Niger State. These governors are also part of efforts to attract global partnerships and investments for their states.