BRICS Welcomes Nigeria and Eight Others as Partners Without Voting Rights Under Brazil's Presidency

Jan 17, 2025, 10:36 PM

Under Brazil's presidency, the BRICS group has announced the addition of nine countries as partner nations, including Nigeria, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. This expansion was formalized by Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on January 17, 2025. The new partner category was created in 2024 during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia. Nigeria, the 6th largest population globally and the 1st in Africa, joins the group as one of its largest economies, with interests that align with those of the existing members, focusing on enhancing cooperation in the Global South and reforming global governance, priorities for Brazil's current presidency. The partner countries will participate in BRICS summits and foreign ministers' meetings but do not have voting rights.