Nigeria re-iterates its intention to join the BRICS group. In February, Yusuf Tuggar, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, disclosed to the media that Nigeria is looking to send in its application to join the elusive club. Very recently he restated that the country has not abandoned its objective to be a part of the BRICS group in the next two years, an idea he has been touting since 2023. Nigeria is also looking to enhance its relationship with Russia.
In an interview with the Russian news publication, Sputnik Africa, Yusuf Tuggar noted that Nigeria is planning to apply to join the BRICS group of nations once the required internal processes are completed.
“We intend to do it. Like I said before, Nigeria runs a deliberative democratic system. So there tends to be a lot of engagement with different interest groups, different internal bodies before such an action is taken,” Tuggar said.
He mentioned the 2023 BRICS Summit in South Africa, which the Vice President of the country, Kashim Shettima’ attended was of utmost significance. He also noted that the country’s intention to join the BRICS nation would not be influenced by the West.
“You have to understand one thing, Nigeria is not the sort of country that succumbs to pressure. We have been single-minded since our inception. Since we became independent in 1960, we joined the non-aligned movement. We do what we feel is right for us as a country, we are not dictated to by anyone,” Yusuf Tuggar said.
Russia and Nigeria are looking to partner on nuclear energy projects. Both sides are executing direct measures, and training individuals, according to the minister, who also disclosed that the Nigerian Atomic Energy Commission and partners in Russia’s Rosatom are working to expedite the process.
Nigeria is also looking to bolster its relationship with Russia in areas outside of energy including, medicine, agriculture, and industrial applications of nuclear technology.
Prior to the Minister’s interview with Sputnik, Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Legal Practitioner, Falana & Falana’s Chambers, gave Sputnik Africa another reason why Nigeria joining the BRICS group of nations has become urgent.
He told the publication that “Nigeria should join the BRICS bloc to promote international trade using national currencies instead of the US dollar.”
“For me, Nigeria cannot afford to remain on the sideline or attend the Summit as an observer. If Nigeria can join the BRICS, it’s going to influence a number of African countries, and once you can do that, we are breaking the barrier, trade barrier, so that if countries are encouraged to trade in their own currencies, that will help the economy of Africa, and of course, the AfCFTA,” the lawyer said.
BRICS group
The BRICS group, originally consisting of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa has been aggressively pushing to change the order of the globe’s economic structure. The group’s primary intention is to dominate the global market by increasing its economic influence. To accomplish this, the group began by bringing together the aforementioned original members, all of whom share a similar economic ethos.
Very recently they decided to add new members to the group to further strengthen its cause, and step up its efforts in reshaping the current status quo. BRICS, at its core, intends to rupture the strong economic influence the West has had on the world for centuries.
The new members it added shortly after its annual summit in August include, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Ethiopia, Egypt, Argentina and the United Arab Emirates, and Nigeria is looking to join this group.
