Brazil Announces Nigeria as BRICS Partner Country

Brazil has formally announced Nigeria as a partner country in BRICS, the multinational bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The decision was confirmed in a statement by Brazil’s Foreign Ministry on Friday.

According to the statement, Nigeria and BRICS share common interests, particularly in strengthening cooperation among Global South nations and advocating for reforms in international organizations. Brazil highlighted Nigeria’s significant global position, noting that the country has Africa’s largest population and is one of the continent’s major economies. The statement emphasized Nigeria’s active role in promoting South-South cooperation and global governance reforms, both of which align with Brazil’s priorities during its current BRICS presidency.

With this announcement, Nigeria joins Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan as the ninth partner country in BRICS. The partner category was established at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024.

Brazil assumed the BRICS presidency for 2025 on January 1, taking over from Russia.