As the 11-nation BRICS summit holds in the South American city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Nigerians want to know what is in it for the country, especially against the threat by President Donald Trump to impose a 10 per cent tariff on affiliated countries, BRIDGET CHIEDU ONOCHIE, LEO SOBECHI and TERHEMBA DAKA report.
Nigeria’s leader, President Bola Tinubu, attended the 17th Summit, which came after the country attained the status of partner member in January. He called for more inclusion for Africa.
The founding countries of the group are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS). The group has since expanded significantly, with six additional members, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, admitted between 2024 and 2025, bringing the total to eleven.
But, while Nigeria aspires to be a full member, the privilege of being a partner country, as well as the physical presence of Mr President, offered ample opportunity for the country to highlight some of its socio-economic challenges for global attention.
Nonetheless, beyond the plea for financial restructuring for Africa and other developing nations, there is a need for the President to explore other opportunities provided by the platform to pursue effective implementation of domestic policies.
The intergovernmental organisation aims at fostering collaboration among member countries to enhance economic and geopolitical coordination, particularly among nations from the Global South.
The underlying apprehension that the member countries are joining hands and heads to challenge the dominance of Western powers in global affairs has always been associated with BRICS’ summits.
President Trump seems to have relieved that fear when he raised the red flag of a 10 per cent tariff against countries showing sympathy or aligning with the grouping. Against this background, therefore, President Bola Tinubu’s attendance has ignited sharp debate at home, exposing the deep divide between critics, who question its timing and proponents, who see it as a bold stride into a more equitable global future.
At the heart of the controversy appears to be the growing tension between urgent domestic demands and long-term international strategy, which has tended to pit opponents against proponents.
Former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi, lambasted the president’s trip as “holidaying during hardship.” He regretted that while Nigerians grapple with fuel scarcity, widespread flooding in Niger State, galloping inflation, and mounting insecurity, the president’s priority should be domestic governance rather than overseas summitry.
Civil society groups and opposition voices that have echoed this sentiment describe the Brazil trip as “tone-deaf” and emblematic of an administration detached from the lived realities of its people.
In the flurry of the criticism, it was obvious that the President’s stopover in Saint Lucia, which many believed was unnecessary, did much to taint the analysis of the BRICS summit and its import for the country’s economic progress and stability.
The naysayers maintain that “Nigeria is ill-prepared to reap the benefits of BRICS membership due to weak institutions, inconsistent economic policies, and an already fragile economy.”
However, in his remarks at the opening ceremony, the President had expressed Nigeria’s determination to design the future with the capacity to address specific needs and concerns of youths, who represent 70 per cent of its population.
“We are taking bold steps to accelerate renewable energy adoption, mainstream climate action, promote nature-based solutions and strengthen urban resilience,” he said.
While the milestone offered him a chance to elevate Nigeria’s global voice, the success of his tenure, however, depends largely on his ability to address longstanding domestic challenges.
It also behoves him to prioritise a transformative domestic agenda that tackles economic stagnation, youth disenfranchisement, climate vulnerabilities, healthcare deficits, governance failures and global economic risks.
This will ensure that Nigeria leverages its BRICS status for the benefit of its people, especially as the oil-dependent economy remains a liability and puts the country at global price vulnerability.
Former National Chairman, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the 2019 Presidential candidate, Chief Peter Ameh, said the government must move beyond rhetoric to diversify into agriculture, solid minerals and renewable energy.
While calling for transparent tax incentives to BRICS to attract investments, particularly from nations like Brazil, with its expertise in agribusiness, Ameh said that food security remains a priority, demanding urgent action.
He, therefore, urged the President to seek subsidised mechanisation, accessible credit for farmers and adoption of sustainable practices through the African Carbon Market Initiative. He stated: “Without these, promises of economic growth will remain hollow, leaving Nigerians vulnerable to inflation and unemployment.
“Also, the youth, who form the majority of Nigeria’s population, are increasingly disillusioned by limited opportunities. The administration’s focus on global platforms such as BRICS is commendable, but it must translate into tangible domestic gains.
“Programmes like Brazil’s Youth Tech Entrepreneurship initiative offer a model for fostering innovation, yet the government must back this with startup grants and reliable digital infrastructure.
“Job creation through partnerships in renewable energy and mining is essential to curb unrest and harness the demographic dividend. Failure to act risks alienating an entire generation.”
On Tinubu’s advocacy for addressing health inequalities, he remarked that it should be matched domestically by increased budgetary allocations, modernised infrastructure and trained medical personnel.
“Public health campaigns targeting non-communicable diseases and partnerships with BRICS nations for affordable medical technology are overdue. A robust national health insurance scheme is essential to protect the poor from crippling costs. Without these reforms, the administration’s global posturing will ring hollow to citizens struggling to access basic care.”
Although the BRICS partnership opens doors for South-South cooperation, Ameh urged the government to act decisively to capitalise on it, stressing that “promoting intra-African trade through the African Continental Free Trade Area and securing technology transfers from BRICS nations will strengthen Nigeria’s economy.”
With the U.S. threatening Nigeria with extra tariffs for aligning with BRICS nations, Ameh urged Nigeria to diversify export markets, prioritising BRICS and African economies, and stabilising the naira through disciplined monetary policies.
He stated: “This is a challenge that President Tinubu must follow to translate his BRICS engagements into meaningful change at home. Nigerians demand results -– economic opportunity, empowered youth, accessible healthcare, accountable governance, and global competitiveness.
“This agenda sets a clear standard by which the administration will be judged. Failure to deliver will only deepen public distrust, but bold action can transform Nigeria’s future, aligning its BRICS partnership with the aspirations of its people,” he added.
A Professor of Political Economic Studies, Yakubu Gowon University (former University of Abuja), James Nda Jacob, said BRICS offers an alternative to Western Europe’s relationship, and it was a welcome development for Nigeria to align with the thoughts of the Global South symbolised by China for liberation from the West.
While not inciting members against the West, Professor Jacob said the BRICS should serve as an alternative to the Western market. “So, there is a need to look at the BRICS countries to see how they have been able to make progress, and strengthen bilateral relations with them,” he surmised.
A Public finance expert, Salihu Isa Nataro, said that belonging to BRICS holds out great promises for Nigeria, noting that financial discipline and expansion of economic opportunities to enhance exports were very necessary.
However, despite the perceived benefits, the points of divergence have been highlighted by the critics of Nigeria’s BRICS membership. Defending the trip, presidential aides argue that Tinubu’s presence in Brazil was not just symbolic but strategic. They view it as part of a broader realignment, one that anchors Nigeria within emerging economic power centres and reduces dependency on Western alliances.
By participating in BRICS activities, Nigeria unlocks expanded trade opportunities with giants like China and India, improved access to concessional loans through the New Development Bank, and collaboration on infrastructure, technology transfer, and climate adaptation. Already, Nigeria is engaging BRICS nations like Russia in food security partnerships, while digital and energy collaborations loom on the horizon.
The presidency frames this move as part of a pragmatic geopolitical calculus. As emerging economies reshape the global financial order, being at the table, even as a partner, positions Nigeria to shape the rules rather than be shaped by them.
According to the proponents, the BRICS platform is not a magic fix, but a powerful lever that could drive foreign investment, technological advancement, and economic diversification, especially if backed by competent domestic implementation.
What’s in it for Nigeria?
Despite the backlash, experts claim that Nigeria’s involvement in BRICS presents a specific number of significant opportunities. BRICS countries like China, India, and Brazil offer vast markets for Nigeria’s crude oil, agricultural exports, and solid minerals. Diversifying trade away from traditional Western partners could reduce Nigeria’s vulnerability to external shocks and expand its export revenue base.
The BRICS-backed Development Financing through the New Development Bank (NDB) provides access to concessional loans for infrastructure, energy, transport, and technology projects, often in local currency. This could help stabilise the naira and finance Nigeria’s long-overdue infrastructure overhaul.
Nigeria stands to benefit from technology transfer and innovation collaboration in areas such as renewable energy, artificial intelligence, big data, and digital infrastructure. These are crucial sectors for economic diversification and industrial growth.
As a BRICS partner, Nigeria becomes more visible to investors from member countries, potentially attracting capital inflows into agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, and telecoms, with job creation and skill development as key outcomes.
However, opponents argue that such foreign engagements do little to solve Nigeria’s immediate problems, inflation, insecurity, and environmental disasters. But supporters of the administration maintain that international diplomacy is a necessary long game, crucial to building the capacity to solve those very issues over time.
While participation in BRICS does not provide a silver bullet, it offers a platform and pathway for Nigeria to reposition itself as a serious economic player, provided that domestic institutions are reformed to harness the benefits .
The challenge now lies in implementation. For the Tinubu administration, the success of this diplomatic gamble will ultimately be judged, not in summit speeches, but in the lived experience of everyday Nigerians, in lower costs, better jobs, more stable infrastructure, and renewed national confidence.
