Nigeria, 12 others join BRICS as partner countries

Nigeria and 12 other countries have joined the BRICS intergovernmental organisation as partner nations, not full members.The announcement was made at the end of the BRICS summit in Russia, as the bloc seeks to enhance cooperation with emerging economies worldwide.

The other 12 countries are: Algeria, Thailand, Belarus, Bolivia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. In January 2024, four countries: Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the United Arab Emirates joined the organisation

BRICS is an acronym for the grouping of leading emerging market economies of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa which aims to promote trade, investment, peace, security, development and cooperation.

The founding countries of Brazil, Russia, India, and China held the first summit in Russia in 2009 under the name BRIC. Following a renaming of the bloc, South Africa attended its first summit as a member in 2011 after joining the group.

Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates attended their first summit as member states at the 2024 summit in Russia. The 2024 BRICS summit themed: “Strengthening Multilateralism for Fair Global Development and Security,” is the 16th annual BRICS summit.