Brics Welcomes Nigeria and Eight Others as Partners Following Kazan Summit in October 2024

Jan 17, 2025, 10:06 PM

Under Brazil's presidency of the Brics, the group has announced the addition of nine countries as partners: Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Nigeria. These nations join the Brics as partners, a category established during the Kazan Summit in October 2024, which allows them to participate in summits and meetings but with a status inferior to full members. The Brazilian Foreign Ministry highlighted that Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and one of its largest economies, shares convergent interests with the Brics members, particularly in strengthening Global South cooperation and reforming global governance, which are priorities for Brazil's current presidency. The expansion reflects the Brics' ongoing efforts to broaden its influence and membership, following the inclusion of Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Indonesia as full members in recent years.