BRICS Welcomes Nigeria and Eight Others as Partners, Boosting Global South Cooperation

Jan 17, 2025, 10:36 PM

Under Brazil's presidency, the BRICS bloc has announced the addition of nine countries as partner nations. These countries include Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Nigeria, which has the 6th largest population globally and is the 1st in Africa. The announcement was made by Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marking the formal entry of these nations into the BRICS partnership category, which was established during the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024. Nigeria, one of Africa's largest economies, joins the group alongside the other eight nations, which are expected to participate in BRICS summits and ministerial meetings with partner status. The inclusion of these new partners reflects the bloc's ongoing efforts to expand its influence and cooperation within the Global South and to reform global governance, priorities set by Brazil during its current presidency.