Nigerian President Bola Tinubu has arrived in Brazil, to attend the 17th BRICS summit of heads of state and government.

President Tinubu is in Brazil at the invitation of Brazilian President Luiz Lula Da Silva. He is expected to hold talks with his host ahead of the summit which will take place from July 6 to 7.

The grouping - often seen as a counterbalance to Western power -- meets as members face imminent and costly tariff wars with the United States.

Original members of the bloc Brazil, Russia, India, and China have been joined by South Africa and, more recently, by Saudi Arabia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia.

International punch

Analysts say that it has given the grouping more potential international punch. The BRICS now represent nearly half of the world's population and 40 percent of its GDP.

President Tinubu is expected to deliver a speech at the summit on the reforms he is undertaking in Nigeria to restore the country's economy, according to a statement by his spokesman Bayo Onanuga.

He is also expected to urge international investors to take advantage of the opportunities available in Nigeria in sectors such as agriculture, mining, health and energy to invest.