Nigeria as 9th BRICS Partner Country | 21 Jan 2025

Source: TH 

Brazil, holding the BRICS presidency in 2025, announced Nigeria's admission as a "partner country" of the BRICS bloc. 

• Nigeria becomes the 9^th BRICS partner country, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan. 
  • In BRICS, a "partner country" refers to nations or organizations invited to attend summits ministerial meetings, or participate in other joint ventures, but without membership status or formal decision-making power. 
• Nigeria has the world's 6^th largest population and Africa's largest, in addition to being the 4^th largest economy in Africa. 
  • Nigeria is located on the Western coast of Africa, often called the "Giant of Africa." 
• About BRICS: BRICS was formed by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2009, with South Africa added in 2010 as a counterweight to G7 countries. 
  • In 2023, the BRICS added Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia and the UAE, while Saudi Arabia has been invited to join. 
  • Indonesia has officially joined the BRICS group as the 10^th member, effective from January 2025. 
  • Turkey, Azerbaijan and Malaysia have formally applied to become BRICS members. 

Read More: Expansion of BRICS