BRICS has officially expanded its alliance, adding 13 new nations as partner countries, though not as full members.
The announcement was made during the BRICS summit, held in Kazan, Russia, from 22 to 24 October 2024.
The group originally drew membership from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS).
The 2024 summit, themed ‘Strengthening Multilateralism for Fair Global Development and Security’, marked the sixteenth annual gathering of the bloc, with a focus on enhancing economic integration with key emerging nations.
A post on X (former Twitter) from the bloc on Thursday read, “BRICS officially adds 13 new nations to the alliance as partner countries (not full members).”
The countries are Algeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Eche Abu-Obe on Thursday confirmed to The PUNCH Nigeria as a partner in BRICS.
“Yes. It is true that Nigeria joined BRICS as a partner,” he said.
BRICS, originally an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, and China, expanded in 2010 to include South Africa, thus forming BRICS.
The group has since added Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates as full members earlier in 2024, all of whom attended this year’s summit as full participants.
The organisation aims to foster trade, investment, development, security, and cooperation among leading emerging market economies.
Nigeria’s inclusion as a partner country aligns with previous statements in November 2023 by Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar, who expressed the country’s intention to join BRICS as a full member within the next two years, leveraging its large economy and population
