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Nigeria Becomes Ninth BRICS Partner, Joins Bloc with 10 Full Members

Jan 18, 2025, 12:47 AM

Nigeria has officially joined the BRICS bloc as a partner country, becoming the ninth nation to hold this status. The announcement was made by Brazil's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which is currently presiding over the group. Nigeria, with the 6th largest population in the world and the most populous nation in Africa, is also one of the continent's largest economies. It joins Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan as a partner, bringing the total number of partner countries to nine. This move is seen as part of Nigeria's active participation in strengthening cooperation within the Global South and contributing to global governance reform, priorities under Brazil's current presidency of the bloc. The BRICS group, originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, now has 10 full members following the recent inclusion of Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, and Indonesia.