Brazil, in its role as the current BRICS chair, announced that Nigeria has been formally admitted as the group’s newest partner country, expanding the organisation’s reach in Africa and strengthening its position in the Global South.
The announcement, made on January 17, 2025, marks Nigeria’s entry as the ninth nation to join BRICS’ recently established partner-country category, which was created during the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan last October. Nigeria joins a diverse group of partner nations, including Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
The addition of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and its largest economy, significantly enhances BRICS’ global influence.
“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 reads.
BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation consisting of ten countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
Since the inaugural summit of its founding members—Brazil, Russia, India, and China—held in Russia in 2009 under the name BRIC, the group has expanded its scope to include South Africa and now additional partner countries.
BRICS was originally founded as a forum for cooperation among leading emerging economies but has since evolved into a multipolar geopolitical and geoeconomic bloc.
It serves as a platform for these nations to meet annually at formal summits and align their multilateral policies, reflecting a shared commitment to reshaping the global order.
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