By Nigeria has officially joined the economic bloc as its ninth “partner state,” Brazil has announced.
BRICS adds 9 partner nations in 2025, after admitting 4 new members in 2024. It now makes up half of global population & 41% of world GDP (PPP), with top producers of oil, gas, grains, meat, minerals.
The Brazilian Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that Nigeria has become the ninth official BRICS partner, joining Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
“In exercising its pro tempore presidency of BRICS, the Brazilian government announces today, January 17, 2025, the formal admission of Nigeria as a partner country of the grouping,” the ministry stated. The Brazilian government commended Nigeria for its “convergent interests with other members of BRICS” and its “active role in strengthening South-South cooperation and reforming global governance.”
As 2025 gets underway, BRICS has continued its expansion, with Indonesia formally joining as its newest full member and eight other nations becoming partner countries. This demonstrates the group’s growing vitality and strengthened representation, influence and appeal on the global stage, experts said.
BRICS was established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2011. Originally envisioned as a platform for mutual investment and financial stability, the group has since expanded its agenda to include security and global governance.
In 2024, the bloc extended full membership to Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates. In January 2025, Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous country with over 270 million people, also became a full BRICS member.
The new ‘partner country’ status was approved at the BRICS summit in October, hosted by Russia in Kazan, and is designed to serve as an alternative to full membership after more than 30 nations applied to join the organization.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing the outcomes of the XV BRICS Summit during a media briefing in Sandton, a suburb of Johannesburg. Photo credit: South African press office.
