The President/CEO of the Brazilian Tourism Board (Embratur), Marcelo Freixo, has stated that the history of Brazil cannot be complete without mentioning Yorubaland.
At a recent meeting with the Executive Secretary/CEO of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation, Otunba Biodun Ajiboye, in Brazil, Freixo said there is no way anybody in the world would talk about Brazil without mentioning Africa, particularly Yorubaland in Nigeria.
In a move to strengthen cultural ties with Nigeria, Freixo announced that Brazil will constitute a committee to identify Brazilian festivals and carnivals that are most suitable to be replicated in Nigeria.
This is contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the Media Assistant to the Executive Secretary of NICO, Caleb Nor.
The statement stated that “Nigerians, particularly Yoruba descendants and Orisha devotees, account for about 58 per cent of Brazil’s population, where they not only have political power but also social and religious power.”
Freixo, therefore, commended President Bola Tinubu and the government of Nigeria for taking the bold step to extend a hand of fellowship through NICO.
Earlier, the President, Palmares Cultural Foundation in Brazil, João Jorge Rodrigues, had hinted that the carnival from Bahia in Brazil would be most suitable, stating that a test run of the festival would be done in December 2026.
He also charged NICO with the responsibility of discussing with the Federal Government of Nigeria or any state government that will host the carnival and revert to the authorities in Brazil for adequate preparations.
“With the current efforts by NICO under the leadership of Ajiboye, Nigeria is already gaining cultural ground by virtue of association and affiliation with Brazil’s cultural sector, which accounts for a substantial part of the country’s revenue,” the institute stated in its statement.
