Nigeria’s alignment with BRICS offers a promising pathway to address its domestic challenges and elevate its position on the global stage, Professor Maurice Okoli, an expert in geopolitics, international relations and economic policy, tells Sputnik Africa.
Speaking on the significance of this partnership, Okoli emphasizes the vast economic influence of BRICS and the strategic advantages it presents for Nigeria’s development.
“The combined economy of BRICS is around $30 trillion. You can see that it is a force to reckon with. So Nigeria aligning with such an organization reflects Nigeria's strategic interest because most countries in this bloc are already trading partners of Nigeria. Aligning with BRICS would help Nigeria's global standing, and it would help Nigeria to address its domestic challenges such as diversification of the economy,” Prof. Okoli explains.
Okoli also discusses Nigeria’s unique position as a gateway to Africa for international investors. “Nigeria is, by nature, by geography, attractive to so many countries.”
“It is the gateway or pathway to Africa. By leveraging our population and natural resources, we can attract investment. Nigeria is abundantly blessed with natural resources and human development capacity. If we do all this, definitely the investment will come. It would be a pathway for investors to capture African markets,” he notes.
Highlighting the potential benefits of partnering with specific BRICS members, Okoli points to Russia’s expertise in energy and agriculture.
“Russia as a country provides a unique opportunity as a BRICS member for Nigeria to develop. No country would develop well if they don’t take care of energy. Modern economies require energy. Russia is good at nuclear energy. If we partner with Russia through the BRICS framework, we can solve that problem,” he points out. “Agriculture is another area where Russia could help us. Russia is one of the largest suppliers of grain in the world today. Food security and productivity, Russia can help us. We can partner with Russia, and within the BRICS framework, there’s a lot we can do together,” Okoli believes.
He also highlights the broader opportunities for Nigeria to promote its cultural and creative industries within BRICS. He argued that Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage, vibrant music scene, and thriving film industry could be key assets in strengthening its global influence.
“As a member of BRICS, we can promote our arts, our crafts. We can promote our music. We can co-produce films and documentaries within the BRICS framework. Nigeria could also become a vibrant cultural hub for other African countries, looking at our population. It is no secret that Nigerian music today is being heard all over the world, and Nigerian films are being watched globally,” he says.
To find out what else our guest had to say, tune in to the Global South Pole podcast, brought to you by Sputnik Africa.
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