By Joy Odor
The Nigeria’s Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Kunle Salako, was part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s delegation during his recent state visit to Brazil, a trip described by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva as the “restart of Nigeria-Brazil relations.”
The visit underscored the commitment of both nations to deepen South-South cooperation, with Presidents Tinubu and Lula da Silva demonstrating what officials described as “an inspiring brotherhood” aimed at advancing mutual growth and development.
High-level bilateral meetings involving ministers and senior government officials provided a platform to chart new areas of collaboration, particularly in the health sector.
During the sessions, Nigeria proposed the development of a Five-Year Joint Action Plan to operationalize the Memorandum of Understanding signed in July between Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health and Brazil’s Ministry of Health.
The plan is expected to guide structured cooperation in areas such as research, health systems strengthening, and pharmaceutical development.
Additionally, Nigeria put forward the idea of a strategic government-to-government procurement deal to enhance efficiency and access to essential medical supplies in both countries’ health sectors.
Dr. Salako, who has been vocal about Nigeria’s Health Sector Renewal Initiative under the Renewed Hope Agenda, described the proposals as “critical steps toward building sustainable health partnerships that will benefit citizens of both nations.”
