President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s official visit to Brazil has further strengthened Nigeria’s international cooperation drive under the Renewed Hope agenda, with the signing of landmark agreements aimed at boosting trade and small business development.
Accompanied by the Director-General/CEO of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Mr. Charles Odii, alongside other top government officials, President Tinubu emphasized that the visit produced “a raft of important agreements to deepen cooperation between our two nations.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the visit, Odii expressed delight at the milestone:
“I had the privilege of joining Mr. President, H.E. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his official visit to Brazil, where he was warmly received by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
“For us at SMEDAN, it was particularly significant as we signed a partnership agreement with ApexBrasil and SEBRAE—two of Brazil’s foremost institutions in trade promotion and SME development.”
Odii explained that the partnership will open new opportunities for Nigerian entrepreneurs by enhancing technical capacity, enabling knowledge exchange, and expanding access to international markets.
He further stressed SMEDAN’s commitment to driving the President’s vision for the sector:
“Under the leadership of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has consistently recognized SMEs as the backbone of our economy, SMEDAN is committed to positioning Nigerian entrepreneurs to compete, scale, and thrive globally.”
