President Bola Ahmed Tinubu departed Abuja on Friday for a two-nation official visit to Japan and Brazil, with a brief stopover in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
His aircraft left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport around 11:15 a.m., with senior government officials — including Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, and Minister of Finance Wale Edun — on hand to bid him farewell.
According to Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu will first attend the Ninth Tokyo InternaAtional Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, from August 20 to 22.
The conference, themed “Co-create Innovative Solutions with Africa,” will focus on boosting Africa’s economic transformation through private investment, innovation, and stronger institutions. Tinubu is expected to participate in plenary sessions, hold bilateral meetings with world leaders, and engage Japanese business executives, including investors eyeing Nigeria.
Launched in 1993 by the Japanese government, TICAD is co-hosted by the United Nations, UNDP, African Union Commission, and World Bank, and is held every three years, alternating between Japan and African nations. The last edition took place in Tunisia in 2022.
From Japan, the President will travel to Brazil for a state visit from August 24 to 25 at the invitation of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. His engagements will include bilateral talks, participation in a Nigeria–Brazil Business Forum, and the signing of agreements and MoUs to strengthen economic cooperation.
Tinubu is accompanied by a high-level delegation of ministers and senior aides tasked with exploring fresh trade and investment opportunities in both countries.
