Vice President Kashim Shettima has stated that Nigeria did not request to become a member of BRICS, which stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Shettima’s comments came shortly after the economic bloc announced the inclusion of six new members: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
Addressing the speculation about Nigeria’s absence from the group, Shettima clarified on Friday that the country had never applied for BRICS membership.
“So far, we have not applied for the membership of BRICS. And it is majorly informed by the fact that my principal President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a true democrat that believes in consensus building,” he told Channels Television on the sideline of the BRICS Summit which was held in South Africa.
“There are so many variables that need to be taken into cognizance. We have to evaluate so many tendencies and issues that require engagements with the economic advisory council, the Federal Executive Council, and even the National Assembly before an informed decision towards joining the BRICS would be taken.”
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Shettima, who has been representing Nigeria at the summit, also has a message for Nigerians living in South Africa. He is urging them to follow the law and show respect to the local citizens wherever they reside.
The newly admitted countries will officially become full members starting from January 1.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose nation holds significant influence within this group of major non-Western economies, remarked, “This expansion of membership holds historical significance. It marks a fresh beginning for BRICS collaboration. It will inject new vitality into the BRICS cooperative mechanism and further strengthen the momentum for global peace and development.”
Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed celebrated this as “a momentous occasion” for his country, which holds the second-highest population count in Africa.
In Iran, senior presidential advisor Mohammad Jamshidi characterized the development as a “historic milestone and a strategic achievement” for Tehran’s foreign policy.
Egypt and the UAE have also expressed their willingness to collaborate with this loosely defined group, which represents billions of people across four continents and possesses a quarter of the world’s wealth.