The CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, announced during the recent signing of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and Brazil, a major result of President Bola Tinubu's state visit to Brazil, that the country's largest airline, Air Peace, is set to make history by operating its first direct flight from Lagos to São Paulo, Brazil, by the final week of November or early December 2025.

The BASA, which Onyema called a "milestone achieved by the President Bola Tinubu administration," is crucial to bolstering the long-overdue aviation connectivity between the two biggest economies in Latin America and Africa.

He emphasized the crucial role aviation plays in economic growth.

“The Brazilian economy is the largest in Latin America. The Nigerian economy is the largest in Africa. Both countries are very rich, both in human and natural resources. They need to tap into this. But without aviation, it’s very, very difficult for some of these things to be actualized.”

He called aviation a “catalyst for development,” stressing that the new route would offer tremendous prospects for trade and cultural exchange.

Regarding Air Peace’s operational plan, Onyema revealed, “We are looking forward to starting in the last week of November or early December this year.”

With the intention of increasing frequency as the route gains traction, the airline initially intends to run three weekly flights on the Lagos–Rio de Janeiro–São Paulo–Lagos route.

He noted that Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had chosen Air Peace as Nigeria's primary airline to operate the BASA flights, demonstrating faith in the airline's ability to strengthen bilateral relations.

Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, clarified the agreement's larger diplomatic background. He framed the BASA and other signed agreements as attempts to "reconnect, rebuild, and invest" across economic, financial, social, and cultural aspects, recalling the "350 years of slavery between Africa and Brazil."

Idris said, “Once President Bola Tinubu travels out of the country, he’s not just speaking for Nigeria, he’s also speaking for all of Africa.”

In addition, Idris praised coordinated reforms in both countries, particularly tax system overhauls, with the goal of creating a stable environment for trade and investment growth, and cited recent high-level exchanges between the two countries, including visits by Brazilian and Nigerian ministers in the fields of health, aviation, science, and technology, as making the foundation for deep cooperation.

Idris revealed that Air Peace would operate a symbolic midnight trip from Brazil to Abuja, cutting travel durations, typically over 24 hours, by almost seven hours. He emphasized that by bringing together Brazilian communities in Lagos and Nigeria’s substantial diaspora in Brazil, the BASA enhances social and cultural ties while offering advantages beyond trade.