Nigeria’s foreign minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said that his country intends to become a member of the BRICS group of nations within the next two years.
Tuggar added that the move is part of the Nigerian government’s efforts to ensure representation and influence on the global stage and that the West African nation is open to joining any alliance that has constructive, well-defined goals, according to the outlet.
“Nigeria has come of age to decide for itself who her partners should be and where they should be. Being multiple aligned is in our best interest,” the Foreign Minister was quoted as saying.
The BRICS group of major emerging economies currently consists of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are all due to become members of BRICS on 1 Januiary 2024..
Nigeria, which is also pushing to join the G20, believes that being part of BRICS would offer it economic and political leverage.
“We need to belong to groups like BRICS, like the G20 and all these others because if there’s a certain criteria, say the largest countries in terms of population and economy should belong, then why isn’t Nigeria part of it?” Tuggar said.
Nigeria is Africa’s largest economy and has previously expressed a desire to join BRICS, but has yet to submit an official application.
Source: RT News, 24 Nov, 2023. https://www.rt.com/africa/587914-nigeria-brics-membership-timeline/