Nigeria joins BRICS as partner country
Brazil on Friday confirmed that Nigeria has officially become a partner country in BRICS, the multinational bloc comprising emerging economies.
The announcement, made by the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, pointed out that Nigeria shares similar goals with BRICS, including fostering stronger cooperation among Global South nations and pushing for changes in global institutions.
Nigeria, with Africa’s largest population and being one of the continent’s key economies, aligns with BRICS in several areas, particularly in promoting South-South collaboration and advocating for global governance reforms.
These priorities are central to Brazil’s leadership as it took over the BRICS presidency on January 1, 2025.
Nigeria joins other nations like Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan in this newly established partner category, created during the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, October 2024.
“With the world’s sixth-largest population—and Africa’s largest—as well as being one of the continent’s major economies, Nigeria shares convergent interests with other members of BRICS. It plays an active role in strengthening South-South cooperation and in reforming global governance—issues that are top priorities during Brazil’s current presidency,” the statement said.
Initially formed by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, BRICS expanded in 2010 to include South Africa.
The bloc’s mission is focused on promoting trade, investment, and development among key emerging markets.
