Nigeria has officially joined BRICS as a partner country, confirmed by Brazil’s Foreign Ministry.
This move aligns with the shared interests of strengthening cooperation among Global South countries and advocating for international organization reforms.
“In its capacity as the pro tempore presidency of BRICS, the Brazilian government announces today, January 17, 2025, the formal admission of Nigeria as a partner country of the grouping. The Brazilian government welcomes the Nigerian government’s decision.”
With this inclusion, Nigeria becomes the ninth partner country of BRICS, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. This partner-country category was established at the 16th BRICS Summit held in Kazan in October 2024.
The statement noted that as the world’s sixth-largest population and Africa’s largest, Nigeria shares convergent interests with other BRICS members. The country plays an active role in enhancing South-South cooperation and advocating for the reform of global governance—key priorities during Brazil’s current presidency.
Opportunity to expand
Nigeria’s entry into BRICS presents an opportunity to expand its influence in global decision-making and foster stronger economic and diplomatic partnerships with member and partner countries.
Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, BRICS began to expand as more countries expressed interest in joining the group of leading emerging economies.
Throughout its journey toward full membership, Nigeria has been recognized as a significant participant in international dialogues and initiatives. This new partnership with BRICS is expected to further solidify Nigeria’s role on the global stage.
What you need to know
- In December 2024, Nigeria sought the support of South Africa to secure full membership in both the G20 and BRICS.
- Bayo Onanuga, the presidential spokesperson, announced that Nigeria is also pursuing membership in the BRICS New Development Bank (NDB).
- Onanuga highlighted that the expanded BRICS bloc has been a significant driver of global economic growth in recent years, accounting for approximately 37% of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP).
The most recent expansion occurred during the 2023 BRICS summit, where six additional countries—Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—were invited to join, effective January 1, 2024. Argentina later declined the invitation.
Analysts have previously suggested that Western hypocrisy and hegemony, particularly evident in conflicts such as those in West Asia and Ukraine, have strengthened the bond among BRICS+ countries.
To counter the hyper weaponization of sanctions and the burden of the dollar’s exorbitant privilege on middle-income countries, the bloc’s leaders have been considering the development of an alternative payment system independent of the US dollar.
Last year, President-elect Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on BRICS nations if they took actions to undermine the dollar.
