Nigeria never applied to join BRICS, Buhari’s ex-aide reveals after new members admitted

The former special assistant on digital/new media to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Tolu Ogunlesi, on Friday revealed that Nigeria has never applied to join BRICS after the group selected new members.

On Thursday, reports emerged that BRICS selected Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE to join its group in 2024.

The group’s previous members were limited to Brazil, Russia, India, and China, before South Africa joined in 2010, hence, the name ‘BRICS’.

Their economies, aside from that of South Africa, have been projected to dominate the global economy by 2050, as they seek to reduce their reliance on the United States Dollar (USD) in trade.

Ripples Nigeria had reported that 15 countries applied for membership, with four or five new members expected to be selected into the BRICS.

Following the selection of Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, reports emerged that the BRICS ignored Nigeria, however, that is not the case according to Ogunlesi on Friday.

READ ALSO: Shettima to represent Nigeria at BRICS summit in South Africa

On his Twitter or X handle this afternoon, the former aide to Buhari said Nigeria has never applied to join the BRICS, so the report that the West African country was snubbed is false.

“On BRICS, emergency foreign policy ‘analysts’ should please note that Nigeria has NEVER formally applied to join,” he wrote on the X platform.

“So the idea of Nigeria being snubbed, re membership, is false PS. Would be interesting to see how the newly-expanded BRICS will function. Requires patient observation,” he added.

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima represented President Bola Tinubu at the 15th BRICS summit held in South Africa.

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