Anifowose Samson
President Bola Tinubu has departed Saint Lucia for Rio de Janeiro to attend the 17th BRICS Summit.
The presisent arrived in Brazil after a four-day visit to Saint Lucia where he had several diplomatic engagements with the Caribbean.
Some of his engagements with the Caribbean island nation highlight an intentional push for South-South cooperation in trade, investment, education, tourism, and culture.
Tinubu, while in Saint Lucia held high-level discussions with the nation’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre, and Governor-General, Cyril Errol Charles.
In Brazil, the president will attend the summit at the invitation of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
Olusegun Dada, a presidential aide, said Tinubu will participate in the event because Nigeria is a ‘partner country’- a membership category short of full status.
Dada added, “The Partner status is higher than that of a guest country, as has been the case in the past. South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia are African members of BRICS.”
