Nigeria’s former Minister of External Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, has said that the country should not have accepted to be a BRICS partner country.
He said that Nigeria ought have been a unique member of the group or granted a full membership during its expansion as opposed to being a partner country.
According to him, offering Nigeria a partner instead of full membership by BRICS is a smack on the essences of Nigerians.
He expressed, “I am not happy. Can you tell me the contrast between a partner country and a member given our GDP in Africa compared to Ethiopia or even South Africa? Is it a partner country that befits us? No.
“We ought have been part of the original members of BRICS. I have expressed this on several platforms. I don’t know why we were never an original member; I don’t know why we were not welcome to join as a full member as they were expanding it.
“I think it is a slap in our face, and we should never have accepted this partner member if that is what they call it.”
BRICS is an intergovernmental organisation consisting of ten countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
On Friday, Brazil reported the formal confirmation of Nigeria as a partner country of BRICS.
According to a statement signed by Brazil’s Foreign Ministry, BRICS and Nigeria share common interests, as both effectively strive to enhance cooperation among Global South countries and advocate for the reform of international organizations.
“With the world’s 6th biggest populace—and Africa’s biggest —as well as being one of the continent’s major economies, Nigeria shares convergent interests with other members of BRICS. It plays an active role in strengthening South-South cooperation and in improving global governance—issues that are top priorities during Brazil’s current presidency,” the assertion said.
Brazil as of now holds BRICS presidency for 2025, having taken over from Russia on January 1.
Nigeria joined Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan as the 9th partner countries of BRICS, a category established at the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, in October 2024.
