Lula Hosts Wole Soyinka in Brasília, Strengthens Brazil–Africa Cultural Ties

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Brasília, Brazil — Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Monday received Nigerian Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, in a meeting that celebrated cultural diplomacy and underscored Brazil’s Afro-descendant heritage.

The engagement, held in the capital, focused on the role of literature, history, and education in bridging cultures across the Atlantic and reinforcing the shared identity between Brazil and Africa.

During the visit, Soyinka presented President Lula with a Portuguese translation of his seminal work, Mito, Literatura e o Mundo Africano (Myth, Literature and the African World).

Lula described the encounter as symbolic of Brazil’s commitment to racial equity and recognition of African contributions to its national identity. The discussion also highlighted the importance of Afro-Brazilian heritage in shaping cultural cooperation between both regions.

Soyinka’s presence in Brasília is being viewed as part of a broader effort to deepen intellectual and cultural exchanges between the Global South, with Brazil positioning itself as a hub for dialogue with African thinkers, writers, and institutions.

The visit coincided with the official trip of President Bola Tinubu, who was also in Brasília on Monday to renew diplomatic and economic cooperation between Nigeria and Brazil.

Soyinka, Africa’s first Nobel laureate in literature and an enduring voice for the preservation of African cultural heritage, has consistently championed the global visibility of African art and ideas.