Nigeria: Nigeria is seeking to deepen partnerships at the 18th BRICS Summit holding from Sept. 12 to 13 in India, as Vice President Kashim Shettima, representing President Bola Tinubu, arrived on Friday.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the summit is part of Nigeria’s efforts to deepen bilateral relations, expand trade and investment opportunities, and strengthen cooperation with member and partner countries. The event is being held under the theme: ‘Building Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.’
Shettima is leading a high-level Nigerian delegation comprising the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole; the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani; and the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, among others.
Speaking ahead of the summit, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Odumegwu-Ojukwu, stated that Nigeria would explore new partnerships and opportunities in agriculture, technology, artificial intelligence, trade, the digital economy, and other critical sectors. She emphasized Nigeria’s intent to draw lessons from India’s experience in deploying technology and artificial intelligence to create opportunities for its large youth population.
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Oduwole, highlighted that the Tinubu administration was working to deepen Nigeria’s trade relationship with India, which had previously stood at about 14 billion dollars. She mentioned that major investors of Indian origin had expressed interest in meeting the Nigerian delegation and noted Nigeria’s significant trade relationships with several BRICS countries.
NAN reports that Shettima will join leaders of BRICS member and partner countries, as well as invited international organizations, for high-level discussions on inclusive global growth, resilience, innovation, and sustainable development. The vice president will also participate in bilateral engagements aimed at advancing Nigeria’s economic and diplomatic interests, particularly in trade, investment, agriculture, technology, and industrial development.
Nigeria became a BRICS partner country in January 2025 and has since engaged the platform to strengthen South-South cooperation and broaden its relations with major emerging economies. The Nigerian delegation will also participate in the BRICS open session and other activities scheduled on the sidelines of the summit.
BRICS is a grouping of major emerging economies that cooperate on economic, political, financial, development, and diplomatic issues. Its membership comprises eleven major emerging markets and developing countries: Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and United Arab Emirates. It is an important forum for countries of the Global South and advocates greater representation for developing countries in institutions such as the UN, IMF, and World Bank. Nigeria is not a full member but belongs to the ‘BRICS partner country’ category, which includes Nigeria, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.