Nigeria’s intention to join BRICS will not be influenced by West — FM

Nigeria will apply for membership of the BRICS in the next two years and it intends to join the group with or without pressure from the West, the country’s foreign minister Yusuf Tuggar has said.
During a recent three-day working visit to Russia, where he held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Tuggar re-iterated Nigeria’s intention to join the BRICS within the next two years. Last month, Tuggar disclosed to the media that the West African country is looking to send in its application to join the elusive club. In an interview with the Russian news publication, Sputnik Africa, earlier this week, he reiterated that his country has not abandoned its objective to be a part of the group, an idea he has been touting since 2023. Nigeria is also looking to enhance its relationship with Russia, which initiated the creation of the BRICS, an intergovernmental organization that accounts for about a quarter of the global economy and more than 40% of the world’s population.
“We intend to do it,” the Nigeria’s foreign minister told Sputnik. “Like I said before, Nigeria runs a deliberative democratic system. So there tends to be a lot of engagement with different interest groups, different internal bodies before such an action is taken.” He also noted that Nigeria’s intention to be part of the BRICS group would not be influenced by the West. “You have to understand one thing, Nigeria is not the sort of country that succumbs to pressure,” the minister said. He also noted that Nigeria welcomed Russian alternatives to the SWIFT payment system and Africa’s biggest economy will consider their use if it satisfies its national interests. BRICS now comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.