Lagos São Paulo Direct Flight: Nigerians Stranded in Brazil Accuse Tinubu and Air Peace of Scam
By: Abudu Olalekan
The phone screen glows in a dim São Paulo apartment. A Nigerian student stares at flight prices. Again. $1,500. Just to get home. No direct flight. No relief. Just a promise that vanished.
Nigerians stranded in Brazil feel cheated. They point fingers at President Tinubu’s government and Air Peace. The accusation? A direct Lagos-São Paulo flight deal that never happened. A “big scam,” they call it.
Back in August 2025, officials celebrated. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with Brazil. Big smiles. Wider media coverage. The promise was simple: direct flights. Operated by Air Peace. Cheaper. Faster. A 6 to 7-hour journey.
For the Nigerian community in Brazil, it was hope. Finally. No more layovers in Addis Ababa or Europe. No more draining their savings for a single trip.
One Nigerian resident, speaking to Reportersroom, didn’t hold back. “It was all a lie,” he said. His voice carried the weight of months of waiting. “The MoU is a scam. They gave us false hope.”
Before this “promise,” the cost was brutal. Up to $1,500 for a one-way trip. The Air Peace Chairman, during his visit, had vowed to slash that. By half. The launch was set for November 2025.
People believed. They planned. Business trips postponed. Family visits scheduled. Students held off on returning home. All banking on a direct flight that was supposed to be just months away.
But November came and went. Then December. Now, we’re in February.
No flight. No refund. No apology.
“Now we are stranded,” the source said. The frustration is palpable. “Many students are stranded here. No official response. Nothing from the government. Nothing from Air Peace.”
The financial strain is crushing. Some turned down other travel options, waiting for the cheaper direct flight. Now, they’re stuck. Unable to afford the high prices of connecting flights. Their plans are in ruins.
This isn’t just about one failed deal. For many, it’s a painful pattern.
“I’ve been in Brazil for over three decades,” another Nigerian shared. “Every government comes with the same false hope. Direct flights to Nigeria. This time, Tinubu’s government celebrated it so much. It made the disappointment worse.”
The August MoU was touted as a breakthrough. A key part of strengthening Nigeria-Brazil ties. Air Peace was named as the chosen carrier. Yet, six months later, there’s nothing.
No tickets on sale. No flight schedules. No regulatory approvals. Just silence.
Attempts by Reportersroom to get answers from Air Peace and Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo hit a wall. No comments. No updates.
The promise hangs in the air, like a ghost. For Nigerians in Brazil, the direct flight was more than convenience. It was a lifeline. A connection to home. Now, it feels like a betrayal.
Stranded. Broke. Waiting for an explanation that never comes.
