Nigeria, Brazil Sign Strategic MoU on Science and Technology to Drive Jobs and Industrial Growth
Nigeria and Brazil have entered a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen cooperation in Science, Technology, and Innovation. The agreement, signed 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, aims to promote research, industrial development, and job creation in both nations. The signing ceremony was witnessed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The partnership will cover critical sectors including biotechnology, space research, digital transformation, and energy transition. According to Minister Nnaji, the collaboration represents a bold step in South-South cooperation and is designed to unlock economic opportunities for both countries. The initiative is expected to foster technological innovation, enhance industrial productivity, and create thousands of jobs driven by knowledge-based industries.
President Tinubu emphasized that the agreement signifies Nigeria’s determination to leverage technology for sovereignty, economic development, and food security. “There is no other way to do it than to embrace it with technology, fast development, research, food sovereignty, and manufacturing,” Tinubu stated. He also called for stronger collaboration on technology transfer in healthcare and pharmaceuticals to advance innovation and knowledge sharing between both nations.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described the agreement as a new chapter in Nigeria-Brazil relations, underscoring the importance of free trade and global cooperation. He noted that agriculture, oil and gas, aviation, and manufacturing represent major opportunities for synergy between the two countries. “At a time when protectionism and unilateralism have returned, Nigeria and Brazil reaffirm their bet on free trade and productive integration,” Lula said during the bilateral talks in Brasília.
Alongside the science and technology MoU, both nations signed agreements on energy and aviation. Brazil’s state-owned oil company, Petrobras, will resume operations in Nigeria after a five-year break, strengthening gas exploration and refining cooperation. A Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) was also signed to enable direct flights between Lagos and São Paulo. Current trade between the two nations stands at nearly $2.1 billion, with Brazil exporting sugar and jams to Nigeria and importing fertilisers and other commodities.
Source: Nairametrics