Linguistic Exchange as Foreign Policy: The Brazil–Nigeria Case

Foreign policy has traditionally been conducted by central government bodies, but universities, research institutions and civil society increasingly contribute to a country’s international engagement. This article argues that linguistic exchange should be understood as an instrument of foreign policy, using Brazil and Nigeria as a case. The two countries are the most populous in their regions and share deep historical, cultural and diaspora ties, from the Agudá returnee communities of the Bight of Benin to contemporary trade, yet language remains a barrier: Portuguese in Brazil, English in Nigeria. Many Brazilians lack affordable access to quality English instruction, while Portuguese is little known in Nigerian society. The article proposes a reciprocal Brazil–Nigeria linguistic exchange programme, connecting universities and federal institutes in both countries with the support of Brazil’s Instituto Guimarães Rosa, Ministry of Education/CAPES and the International Institute of the Portuguese Language. It would offer Portuguese and English instruction at all levels, use existing digital platforms, and follow a horizontal model in which participants teach their own language in exchange for learning the partner’s. The proposal is set against planned large-scale cooperation such as the Green Imperative agricultural programme, which would require linguistic infrastructure. It is illustrated by the NIDOA Brazil Language Academy in São Paulo, a community-based example of low-cost reciprocal language learning. The article concludes that linguistic exchange can strengthen public, cultural and science diplomacy, expand educational opportunity, and consolidate South–South cooperation between Brazil and Nigeria.