Nigeria has been formally admitted as a partner country of THE multinational bloc BRICS, in a move that exemplifies the growing authority of the association and its role in international affairs.
- The west African country becomes the ninth partner country of BRICS, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
- This partner-country category was created at the 16th BRICS Summit, held in Kazan, Russia, in 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.
“Nigeria is poised to leverage this platform to advance shared goals in trade and investment, energy security, infrastructure development, technology, and climate change,” Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Sunday.
BRICS plays an active role in strengthening South-South cooperation and in reforming global governance—issues that place it odds with Washington and its traditional allies, including members of the G7 bloc. In addition to the titular members-Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa-other members include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The second-tier of partner countries has increased the bloc’s influence across the globe, building a counter weight to the US-led Western bloc.
“We will consider the degree to which many other countries, about 30 of them, are prepared to join the BRICS multidimensional agenda in one form or another,” Russia’s President Vladimir Putin said when Russia ascended the chairmanship in January 2024. The expansion now includes six of the 10 most populous countries, and accounts for more than 40% of the global economy.
Abuja’s Play
Following a change in administration in May 2023, Nigeria has been pursuing bold reforms to reestablish macroeconomic conditions for stability and growth.
A World Bank report points out that despite having the largest economy and population in Africa, Nigeria offers limited opportunities to most of its citizens.
” [Nigeria’s]… poverty rate is estimated to have reached 38.9% in 2023, with an estimated 87 million Nigerians living below the poverty line — the world’s second-largest poor population after India,” the Bretton Woods institution said in the report.
