At the 17th BRICS Summit in Brazil, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for a fairer and more inclusive global order that reflects the interests of developing and low-income nations, particularly in Africa.
In a speech delivered on his behalf, Tinubu stated that BRICS should not only serve as a bloc for emerging economies but also become a beacon for emerging solutions. He stressed that despite contributing the least to global emissions, Africa suffers the most from climate change impacts.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu urged a reevaluation of global governance structures, particularly in areas such as finance, healthcare, and climate action.
“Nigeria, therefore, associates with what I have heard today and all that has happened in BRICS,” he said. “The next issues are financial restructuring and reevaluation of the global structure.”
President Tinubu emphasized that environmental degradation, healthcare disparities, and climate-related challenges are major hurdles to development for many emerging nations. He advocated for fairness, sustainable technology transfer, and accessible financing to help developing countries participate meaningfully in global initiatives.
Highlighting African-led efforts, Tinubu referenced the African Carbon Market Initiative and the Great Green Wall project, expressing hope that the upcoming COP-30 would strengthen global environmental commitments.
He reiterated Nigeria’s support for South-South cooperation, noting that developing nations must not remain passive in global decision-making processes involving debt relief, healthcare, and climate issues.
“We can, therefore, not be passive participants in global decision-making on financial restructuring, debt forgiveness, climate change, environmental issues, and healthcare,” Tinubu said.
He also addressed the needs of Nigeria’s youth, who make up 70% of the population, and outlined national reforms including efforts to expand renewable energy, climate action, urban resilience, and universal health coverage.
On health challenges, Tinubu cited rising non-communicable diseases and stressed the need for collective global action. He concluded that BRICS should stand for emerging solutions, solidarity, sustainability, and shared prosperity.
Nigeria joined BRICS as a partner country in January 2025. This new category, introduced at the 2024 summit in Kazan, Russia, also includes Belarus, Bolivia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
President Tinubu was accompanied by Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar and Finance Minister Wale Edun at the summit.