President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to participate in the 19th Heads of State and Government Summit of the Group of 20 (G20).
He landed on Sunday at 11:03 p.m. local time (3:03 a.m. Nigerian time) and was welcomed by Ambassador Breno Costa from Brazil’s Ministry of External Relations.
Accompanying the President are several key officials, including the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha; the Minister of Art, Tourism, Culture, and Creativity, Hannatu Musawa; the Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi; and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Ambassador Mohammed Mohammed.
President Tinubu is also set to engage in bilateral discussions during the summit, focusing on advancing Nigeria’s socio-economic reforms.
The 2024 G20 summit is being hosted by Brazil’s President, Lula da Silva, who has held the group’s rotating presidency since December 21, 2023, and will conclude his term on November 30.
The summit, themed “Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet,” will address three key aspects of sustainable development: economic, social, and environmental, as well as the reform of global governance.
The summit will also address the increasing global temperatures and the principles of the digital economy, among other topics.
The Brazilian presidency has made the Israel–Hamas conflict and the growing tensions between the United States and China key priorities.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, the outcomes of the work done by the country holding the G20 rotating presidency are typically presented at the annual summit’s conclusion.
This is the time when heads of state and government approve the agreements negotiated throughout the year and outline strategies for addressing global challenges.
According to NAN, the Leaders’ Summit, which represents the culmination of G20 work throughout the year—through Ministerial Meetings, Working Groups, and Engagement Groups—will be presented for adoption at the summit.
The summit will be attended by 19 member countries, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Türkiye, the UK, and the US.
In line with the summit’s theme, President Da Silva outlined a three-point agenda focused on combating hunger, poverty, and inequality, which will be addressed during the summit from November 18 to November 19.
President Tinubu is attending the 2024 G20 summit as the organizers have invited representatives from the African Union and the European Union.
The Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, Carlos Areias, extended Da Silva’s invitation to Tinubu on August 29 when he presented his Letter of Credence.
Areias emphasized that Da Silva was eager to welcome Tinubu to the G20 Leaders’ Summit and highlighted food security as the Brazilian presidency’s key proposal for the G20, aiming to eliminate extreme poverty by 2030.
