Nigeria is officially announced as a member of BRICS, expanding the bloc to nine countries and strengthening ties with Brazil.
A was officially announced as the latest member of according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With this new membership, the bloc now has nine partner countries, which include Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda and Uzbekistan, in addition to Nigeria. Recognized as the most populous nation in Africa, Nigeria maintains significant historical and cultural ties with Brazil. The country stands out among the 30 economies with the largest gross domestic product in the world and is rich in natural resources, such as oil and natural gas, having been a member of OPEC since the 1970s.
The Brics, which was initially formed with Brazil, Russia, India and China, expanded in 2011 with the inclusion of South Africa. Recently, in August 2023, the bloc received new members, such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates United Arabs, Ethiopia and Iran. In addition, Indonesia was announced as a full member in January 2023. Currently, Brazil holds the temporary presidency of Brics, and a meeting of the bloc’s leaders is scheduled for July, in Rio de January. According to information from Itamaraty, Nigeria shares aligned interests with other member countries, with an emphasis on cooperation between nations in the Global South and the need to reform global governance.
Published by Sarah Paula
*Report produced with the help of AI
