Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has clarified that the country did not apply to join the BRICS group of emerging economies – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.

 

Shettima made this statement on Friday after the BRICS announced that it was admitting six new members – Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE – from January 1.

 

He stated that Nigeria’s decision not to seek BRICS membership was based on the democratic principles of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who believes in consensus building and consultation with various stakeholders.

 

“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 said

 

Shettima, who represented Nigeria at the BRICS Summit in South Africa, said that the country would have to evaluate many factors and issues before making an informed decision on joining the BRICS.

 

He also urged Nigerians living in South Africa to be law-abiding and respectful of their host communities.

 

The leaders of the new members hailed the BRICS expansion as a historic and strategic development. The group represents billions of people on four continents and a quarter of the world’s wealth.