Nigerians living in Brazil have accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nigeria’s airline, Air Peace, of misleading them with what they describe as a fraudulent promise of direct flights between Lagos and São Paulo—an arrangement that has allegedly left many stranded and facing financial hardship.
Several affected Nigerians told Vibeslyfe that the much-publicised Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reportedly signed between the Nigerian and Brazilian governments in August 2025 raised high hopes within the Nigerian community in South America. Central to those expectations was the promise of a direct Lagos–São Paulo route to be operated by Air Peace.
However, months after the agreement was celebrated by government officials and widely promoted in the media, no such flight has materialised.
One Nigerian resident in Brazil told Vibeslyfe that the entire arrangement appeared deceptive from the outset.
“The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Tinubu government with Brazil in August is a big scam. They gave us Nigerians living here false hope—it was all a lie,” the resident said.
“Especially the claim that Air Peace would operate direct flights between Lagos and São Paulo. Before this deception, Nigerians were spending up to $1,500 travelling from Nigeria to Brazil because there was no direct flight. We had to pass through Addis Ababa, South Africa, or Europe.”
The source added that Air Peace’s chairman personally raised expectations during a visit to Brazil, promising that direct flights would commence in November 2025 and that fares would be reduced by 50 percent due to the shorter six-to-seven-hour travel time.
According to the source, assurances from both government officials and the airline led many Nigerians in Brazil to delay travel plans, while others prepared for business trips to Nigeria, expecting cheaper and faster flights.
“A lot of us believed them and planned our trips around it. Many of us have businesses in Nigeria, so we thought the government was finally being sincere,” the source said.
Months after the promised November 2025 timeline, however, there has been no flight, no official explanation, and no public update from either Air Peace or the Nigerian government.
“We are now stranded. It’s almost February, and nothing has happened. There has been no communication. Many Nigerian students here are stuck, with no response from either the government or Air Peace,” the source added.
Members of the Nigerian community in Brazil say the situation has caused severe financial and emotional distress, particularly among students and small business owners who reorganised their plans based on the anticipated direct route.
Some disclosed that they declined alternative travel options in anticipation of the promised direct flight, only to find themselves unable to afford current connecting flights, whose prices remain high.
Beyond the immediate hardship, the sources said the incident reflects a long-standing pattern of unfulfilled promises by successive Nigerian governments regarding direct air links between Nigeria and Brazil.
“I have lived in Brazil for over 30 years. Every government comes with the same promise of direct flights, but it never happens. What makes this one more troubling is how loudly the Tinubu administration celebrated it,” another source said.
The August MoU signing was widely promoted by the Tinubu administration as a major step toward strengthening Nigeria–Brazil relations, with aviation cooperation highlighted as a key component. Air Peace, Nigeria’s largest private airline, was repeatedly cited as the carrier expected to operate the route.
Yet nearly six months later, there is no evidence of ticket sales, flight schedules, regulatory approvals, or any public communication regarding the proposed Lagos–São Paulo service.
Repeated efforts by Vibeslyfe to obtain comments from Air Peace and the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.