Nigeria’s succession of diplomatic quick wins yields BRICS partner country status
As Nigeria's BRICS partner country lifecycle begins, there shall be privileges and limitations, but on each side still lies opportunities.
President Bola Tinubu’s long-standing commitment to international diplomacy efforts on behalf of Nigeria has yielded probably the most significant milestone since his presidency commenced in 2023 May with his country’s admittance as a BRICS partner country all thanks to Brazil.
An announcement from Brazil’s government foreign ministry actually confirmed the inclusion on Friday 17 January 2025. A statement from the Itamaraty recognised Nigeria’s active role in strengthening cooperation in the Global South and reforming global governance, all the more obvious under Mr Tinubu’s leadership.
Last November when world leaders gathered at the G20 Leaders’ Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Nigeria was physically represented. It isn’t an oddity being there as past presidents like Muhammadu Buhari had been invited to the summit, but it was strictly virtual.
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Under Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Nigeria’s path to smooth global reckoning is finding its structure, and it ultimately wants to be among nations that make vital decisions for the benefit of its people and sub-region.
A clearer picture of where West Africa’s most influential country now stands is captured partly in a statement by the Itamaraty. It reads that as the 6th largest population in the world and the 1st on the African continent, as well as one of the largest economies in Africa, Nigeria has converging interests with the other members of the group.
It is possibly a matter of necessity that Africa’s most populous country made the early cut being that it had long been pushing for a formal BRICS nation membership. A partner country status is a few blocks away from being a permanent member, yet it is a key milestone representing Nigeria’s reimagination of itself.
It was at the Kazan BRICS summit last year in Russia, the host that members agreed to set the stage for who are to be known as ‘first nations’ to join the bloc as ‘partner countries’.
The countries that have been admitted as partners are Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and then Nigeria. According to a statement from the bloc, this list was announced as ‘partner countries’ as of January 1st, 2025. The modality to create these lots commenced during the Kazan Summit, in October 2024. It says over 30 nations showed interest in joining the BRICS in whatever capacity.
What being a BRICS partner country means
As Nigeria’s BRICS partner country lifecycle begins, there shall be privileges and limitations, but on each side still lies opportunities.
Based on how the rules go in a bloc pioneered by Brazil, Russia, India, China, on 16 June 2009, and then joining a year later South Africa, partner countries will be invited to participate in the Summit and the Foreign Ministers’ meeting. If approved by the bloc’s 10 main members, they may join other discussion sessions within the forum.
The BRICS nations are:
It goes further being among these inaugural nine. Any of these nations may endorse BRICS Summit Declarations, BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Joint Declarations, and other attachments.
Before becoming a member nation, there are processes most definitely. It starts with off-stage relationships and deep, personal consultations spearheaded by the rotating presidency which in this case is Brazil, a country with close ties with Nigeria’s spirituality and religion.
Having considered the interested applicant’s tendency to collaborate with the BRICS bloc’s main members, there is now a vote on whether to admit such or not. It is at this stage that President Bola Tinubu can confidently say all the moves and vital tweaks he has made since he took over the reins have yielded what he said they would.
His penchant for engaging world leaders, hence his skillfulness with diplomacy has been top-notch. Although Nigeria’s inflation rate ranges around the 35% mark and the prices of food are still high, a spark of hope that the country might turn the corner soon is still there.
Ayodelé is a Lagos-based journalist and the Content and Editorial Coordinator at Meiza. All around the megacity, I am steering diverse lifestyle magazine audiences with ingenious hacks and insights that spur fast, informed decisions in their busy lives.
