Nigerians living in Brazil have accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigeria’s largest private airline, Air Peace, of misleading them with what they describe as a false promise of direct commercial flights between Lagos and São Paulo, a development they say has left many members of the diaspora stranded, financially strained and deeply disappointed.
Members of the Nigerian community in Brazil, who spoke with SaharaReporters, said expectations were raised following the announcement of a Memorandum of Understanding reportedly signed between the Nigerian government and Brazil in August 2025. The agreement, which was widely publicised by government officials, was presented as a major diplomatic and economic breakthrough, with a direct Lagos–São Paulo air route highlighted as one of its key deliverables. Air Peace was repeatedly mentioned as the airline expected to operate the service.
According to the aggrieved Nigerians, the announcement sparked excitement and optimism within the Nigerian diaspora in South America, many of whom have for decades endured long and expensive journeys between the two countries due to the absence of a direct flight connection. However, several months after the signing of the MoU and the fanfare that followed, no such flight has materialised, and no clear explanation has been offered by either the airline or the Nigerian government.
One Nigerian resident in Brazil described the entire process as deceptive, alleging that the promises made by officials and the airline amounted to nothing more than false hope.
“The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Tinubu government with Brazil in August is a big scam. They gave Nigerians living here false hope. It was all a lie,” the resident said.
He explained that the promise of a direct Lagos–São Paulo route had been particularly appealing because of the high cost and inconvenience of travelling between Nigeria and Brazil. According to him, Nigerians travelling to Brazil often pay as much as $1,500 for tickets because they must transit through other countries such as Ethiopia, South Africa or several European destinations.
“There has never been a direct flight. We always pass through Addis Ababa, South Africa or Europe to come to Brazil,” he said. “When Air Peace came and made those promises, many of us believed them.”
The source further alleged that the chairman of Air Peace personally assured Nigerians in Brazil that direct flights would commence by November 2025. He said the airline promised to slash ticket prices by up to 50 per cent, given that the direct journey would last only six to seven hours.
“That promise made a lot of sense to us,” he said. “They told us the flight would start properly in November 2025 and that prices would be significantly reduced because it was a direct route.”
These assurances, the source said, influenced major decisions among Nigerians living in Brazil. Many reportedly postponed travel plans, delayed business trips and reorganised their finances based on the expectation that the direct and cheaper flights would soon become available.
“A lot of us planned our trips around that promise,” he said. “We have businesses to attend to in Nigeria, and some of us are students who need to travel back and forth. We honestly believed the government and the airline were sincere.”
However, as November 2025 came and went, no flight was announced, no tickets were sold and no schedule was released. By late January 2026, members of the Nigerian community said they had received no official communication explaining the delay or clarifying whether the project was still being pursued.
“Now we are close to February and nothing has happened,” the source said. “There has been no communication from Air Peace or from the government. Many Nigerians here, especially students, are stranded with no explanation.”
Another Nigerian living in Brazil said the situation had created serious financial and emotional hardship for members of the community, particularly those who turned down alternative travel arrangements in anticipation of the promised direct flight.
“Some people refused to book other flights because they were waiting for Air Peace,” the source said. “Now ticket prices are still high, and some people can no longer afford them.”
Students, small business owners and families have been particularly affected, according to the community members. Some students are reportedly unable to return to Nigeria due to the high cost of connecting flights, while business owners say they have lost opportunities after postponing planned trips.
Beyond the immediate hardship, the Nigerians said the episode reflects a broader pattern of unfulfilled promises by successive Nigerian governments regarding direct air connectivity between Nigeria and Brazil. One long-term resident of Brazil said he had witnessed similar announcements over the past three decades, none of which resulted in a permanent solution.
“I have lived in Brazil for over 30 years,” the source said. “Every government comes with promises of direct flights to Nigeria. It never happens. But what made this one different and more painful was the way Tinubu’s government celebrated it so loudly.”
He said the August 2025 MoU was portrayed as a landmark achievement in Nigeria–Brazil relations, with aviation cooperation presented as a concrete outcome of high-level diplomacy. The involvement of Air Peace, Nigeria’s most prominent private airline, further boosted confidence that the plan would finally be realised.
“This time, it looked serious,” he said. “The government made noise about it. Air Peace was mentioned everywhere. That is why many of us trusted it.”
Despite the publicity surrounding the agreement, there has been no visible progress nearly six months later. There are no publicly available flight schedules, no ticket sales, no regulatory announcements and no confirmation that Air Peace has secured the necessary approvals to operate the Lagos–São Paulo route.
Members of the Nigerian community in Brazil say the silence from both the airline and the government has compounded their frustration. They argue that even if logistical or regulatory challenges exist, the authorities owe Nigerians an honest update.
“If there are problems, they should tell us,” one source said. “Keeping quiet and pretending nothing happened is unfair to Nigerians who trusted them.”
Repeated efforts by SaharaReporters to obtain comments from Air Peace and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, on the status of the promised direct flights were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
For many Nigerians in Brazil, the episode has reinforced feelings of neglect and marginalisation by their home country. Community members say they contribute economically through remittances and investments, yet their concerns are often ignored.
“We are Nigerians too,” one source said. “All we want is honesty and accountability. If the promise cannot be fulfilled, they should say so. What they should not do is raise our hopes and abandon us.”
As the silence continues, Nigerians in Brazil say they remain uncertain about their travel plans and sceptical about future government announcements, fearing that the promise of direct flights may once again join a long list of unrealised commitments.
