Brasília, Brazil – President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s official visit to Brazil has produced fresh agreements aimed at strengthening economic ties between Nigeria and Brazil, with a special focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
During the visit, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Charles Odii, joined the president and other top government officials at high-level meetings hosted by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Mr. Odii confirmed that SMEDAN signed partnership agreements with ApexBrasil, Brazil’s top trade and investment promotion agency, and SEBRAE, a leading institution for small business development.
According to Odii, the collaboration will help open new opportunities for Nigerian small businesses, improve technical capacity, and allow for knowledge exchange between the two countries. He noted that the partnerships are designed to empower Nigerian entrepreneurs with tools to compete and succeed globally.
“This collaboration will open new doors for Nigerian small businesses, strengthen our technical capacity, and provide opportunities for knowledge exchange that will benefit entrepreneurs back home,” Odii stated in a message shared on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
He added that under President Tinubu’s leadership, SMEDAN is committed to ensuring that SMEs – which he described as the backbone of Nigeria’s economy – are better positioned to grow, scale, and compete internationally.
President Tinubu, who emphasized the importance of international cooperation for Nigeria’s economic renewal, said the engagement with Brazil produced “a raft of important agreements to deepen cooperation between our two nations.”
The visit is part of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritizes strengthening Nigeria’s global partnerships while driving inclusive economic growth through support for small businesses and trade opportunities.
