Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, has criticized Nigeria’s designation as a partner country by BRICS, asserting that the country deserves full membership in the multinational group.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, January 20, Akinyemi expressed his dissatisfaction with Nigeria’s current status, calling it an insult given the nation’s economic standing in Africa.
“I am not happy. Can you tell me the difference between a partner country and a member, considering our GDP in Africa compared to Ethiopia or even South Africa? Is it a partner country that befits us? No,” Akinyemi remarked.
He argued that Nigeria should have been either an original member of BRICS or included as a full member during the group’s expansion phase.
“We should have been part of the original members of BRICS. I have said this on several platforms. I don’t know why we were never an original member; I don’t know why we were not invited to join as a full member as they expanded. I think it is a slap in our face, and we should never have accepted this partner status, if that’s what they call it,” he added.
On January 17, Brazil announced Nigeria’s formal admission as a partner country of BRICS, an intergovernmental organization that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and newly added members Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE.
In a statement, Brazil’s Foreign Ministry highlighted Nigeria’s shared interests with BRICS, particularly its commitment to South-South cooperation and global governance reform.
“With the world’s sixth-largest population—and Africa’s largest—as well as being one of the continent’s major economies, Nigeria shares convergent interests with other BRICS members. It plays an active role in strengthening South-South cooperation and reforming global governance—issues that are top priorities during Brazil’s current presidency,” the statement said.
Brazil, which assumed the BRICS presidency for 2025 on January 1, also emphasized Nigeria’s significant role in the Global South.
Nigeria now joins Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan as a partner country of BRICS, a status introduced during the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, in October 2024.
