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Nigeria has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening cooperation with BRICS, with Vice President Kashim Shettima saying the partnership offers an opportunity to advance Africa’s development priorities and deepen South-South cooperation.
Shettima made this known while addressing the BRICS-EarthShare 2026 summit, where he said Nigeria approaches the partnership with the objective of promoting mutually beneficial cooperation and contributing to a fairer and more inclusive international order.
The Vice President said Nigeria welcomes cooperation with BRICS across trade, agriculture, food security, energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, healthcare and critical minerals, particularly where such partnerships could promote technology transfer, local value addition, industrial capacity and employment.
He also invited BRICS investors to view Nigeria as a gateway to Africa’s expanding market under the African Continental Free Trade Area, noting Nigeria’s support for rules-based multilateral trade, e-commerce and digital trade.
“We support rules-based multilateral trade, e-commerce and digital trade because no nation’s borders should define the limits of its enterprise,” Shettima said.
He said Nigeria’s young population remains central to its development and innovation agenda, noting that the country is investing in digital skills, entrepreneurship, research, artificial intelligence, and technology-enabled businesses through initiatives including 3MTT, Project Bridge, and national AI programmes.
“With a population of 250 million people and an average age of 16.9, Nigeria’s greatest asset is its young and dynamic population, whose imagination drives our innovation agenda,” he said.
Shettima said Nigeria is interested in BRICS cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital public infrastructure, fintech, telecommunications, cybersecurity, biotechnology and advanced manufacturing.
He stressed the need for developing countries to build their own technological capacity and intellectual property.
“A nation that owns no technology risks threatening its future,” he said.
According to the Vice President, Nigeria also sees BRICS cooperation as an opportunity to attract investment and strengthen human capital, infrastructure, connectivity, energy, agriculture, healthcare, education and industrialisation.
He said the country’s Project Bridge, which is expanding broadband, fibre infrastructure, and digital public services, is intended to support an open, secure, and inclusive digital ecosystem.
Shettima also called for stronger cooperation on climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building for Africa, while identifying renewable energy, gas, clean technologies, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable infrastructure and responsible critical mineral development as areas for collaboration.
Beyond economic cooperation, the Vice President reaffirmed Nigeria’s support for reforms to the global governance system, including the United Nations Security Council and international financial institutions.
“Nigeria supports a more representative, equitable and responsive global governance architecture,” he said.
Shettima said BRICS has an important role to play in giving the Global South a stronger voice in international affairs and advancing a more inclusive global order.
He stressed, however, that the partnership should deliver tangible benefits for member states and developing countries.
“Nigeria calls for a BRICS partnership that moves from dialogue to delivery, from commitments to implementation and from cooperation to measurable development outcomes,” Shettima said.
He added that the partnership should create jobs, expand trade, transfer technology and strengthen Nigeria’s productive capacity.
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“We must build a future in which Africa moves from the margins of global development to the frontiers of global growth and innovation.”
— President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, New Delhi, IndiaEXCERPT FROM NIGERIA’S SPEECH AT THE BRICS SUMMIT, AS… https://t.co/29gbYiGpgb pic.twitter.com/LIulHkRKnf
— Stanley Nkwocha (@stanleynkwocha_) September 13, 2026
