On January 18, 2025, Brazil, the current chair of BRICS, announced the addition of Nigeria as a “partner country” into the BRICS bloc. This strategic move acknowledges Nigeria’s significant population—the largest in Africa—and its substantial economic influence on the continent.
BRICS, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, was established to give a counterpoise to the G7 leading industrial nations. In recent times, the bloc has been widening its partnerships with other countries to deepen global cooperation among emerging economies.
With Nigeria on board, BRICS now has nine partner countries, including Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. This is an indication of the bloc’s commitment to inclusive growth and the strengthening of multilateral relations.
The Brazilian government saluted the active role of Nigeria in the promotion of South-South cooperation and its efforts toward the reform of global governance-all of which are priorities of BRICS. This partnership is expected to open new avenues for economic collaboration and development initiatives between Nigeria and BRICS member nations.
This inclusion illustrates that Nigeria, for the first time, became a partner country-that is, the coming together of emerging economies to respond to key challenges and make declarations on shared goals about international relations.
